Hobart's new lord mayor pledges to 'turn the ship around'

Hobart Lord Mayor Charles Wooley vows to 'turn the ship around', asks for councillor cooperation In short: The new Hobart City Council has officially been sworn in following the recent elections. The council has drawn headlines in recent years for in-fighting and social media conflicts, and the new mayor is vowing to turn things around. What's next? The council's deputy lord mayor will be elected by the councillors at their first meeting, on November 16. Hobart's new lord mayor has pledged to "turn the ship around" at the council's official swearing-in ceremony on Monday evening. Hobart City Council has attracted headlines in recent years for in-fighting, code-of-conduct complaints and social media stoushes, with the recent local government election campaign similarly rife with personal attacks between candidates. This included accusations of agism, ongoing debate over "snack-gate", and a fiery confrontation involving a lord mayor hopeful's parents at a forum. Earlier in the year, the former council had already been put on notice by acting Director of Local Government Luke Gregory, who warned all councillors to stop "disrespectful" and "demeaning" conduct at meetings or risk formal action. The municipality's newly elected representatives were sworn into their roles on Monday evening. Of the nine representatives, seven served on the previous council, with one of two new faces including the Lord Mayor, veteran 60 Minutes reporter Charles Wooley. Speaking at the ceremony, Councillor Wooley said he was not interested in "political power or social engineering". Instead, he said his focus would be on being a "people's mayor". "I could not have chosen a worse time to become lord mayor. The public are angry, and they have cause," he said. "I hope I can help." Changing the council's course Reflecting on the turbulence of recent terms of council, Councillor Wooley urged his fellow elected members to leave any political allegiances at the door. "I want this council to purse the idea of life, liberty and especially the pursuit of happiness. Because what we cannot do is another eight years of the discord this chamber has lived through,"he said. "Now, it's not an easy ship to turn around. It's sailed off-course, it was sometimes erratic, sometimes apparently dogmatic, but the people in the wharf noticed. "I ask for only two things. I ask for patience of you, my fellow councillors. I ask for your mutual co-operation, and I ask that you might not rule for the political parties that put you there, but for the people who did, the people of Hobart." Proudly wearing a kilt of MacGregor tartan, Councillor Wooley paid tribute to his Scottish heritage, having been born on the Isle of Arran. He also reflected on the path that brought his family to Tasmania, his journalism career, and reiterated his support for council amalgamations. "I think 29 councils in a state this size is absurd, and I'll go on saying so." Fewer seats on council This year's elections included a statewide reduction in the number of councillors from 263 to 213. In Hobart, that included a reduction in councillor seats from 12 to 9. Former lord mayor Anna Reynolds did not contest the election. She served in the top job for eight years. The newly sworn-in councillors will elect a deputy mayor at their first meeting, on November 16. It follows incumbent Ben Lohberger winning the position, but failing to secure a council seat — something that has only happened a handful of times in recent decades.