City's lord mayor-elect explains 'Hobart for Hobartians' slogan

Veteran journalist and author Charles Wooley fronted the cameras this morning, for the first time since being elected late yesterday as Hobart's next lord mayor.

In the wide-ranging media conference, Mr Wooley raised several topics including the Israel election, statues, Julius Caesar, Donald Trump, King Charles and museums. He also avoided several questions.

"Let's get on together … I've been to some of the worst s***holes in the world. You are blessed to be here [in Hobart],"

he said.

Mr Wooley's campaign slogan was "Hobart for Hobartians".

When asked what that meant, he said, "great question", before adding that the inspiration for it came from his travels in Barcelona in Spain, where he met that city's first female mayor.

"On the wall of her office she had 'Never forget for whom we run this city'," Mr Wooley said.

He was then asked what he thought about Hobart's council looking likely to only include one female councillor.

"Women didn't vote for women — it's extraordinary," he said.

As of 4:50pm yesterday, 50 per cent of the votes for Hobart councillor positions had been counted, with incumbent Louise Elliot the only female in the top nine.

Mr Wooley was asked how he was going to address the division within the Hobart City Council. 

"By being nice," he replied. "The last eight years of council have been vitriolic. It's been terrible and I think partly because we had a mayor who thought she was the boss.

"I'm not the boss. I represent the council to you, to the public, and I will represent you, the public, to the council."

In terms of his key policy ideas for the next four years of council, he said, "one way or another I'm going to cap rates".

"My own inclination is to give everybody a $200 rate cut and say, 'go and spend it in town'.

"My advisers tell me I can't do that, but we'll see," he said.

Mr Wooley said he supported council amalgamations and wanted the local government code of conduct legislation reviewed.

"Almost everyone in Tasmania is sleeping with a politician or knows someone who is. It's silly," he said

"I don't want to sound like Donald Trump, but let's make Hobart greater again."

Mr Wooley, who seemingly then forgot which side of the camera he was on — after many years of being the interviewer — then started asking the journalists questions.

"Let me ask some questions: do you own a house here? What is the budget of Hobart?"

Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds did not contest this election.

Several mayors not returned

Several mayors across the state ran for re-election but were unsuccessful.

Teeny Brumby has been Burnie's mayor since 2023, but lost out this time around to her deputy, Giovanna Simpson.

"Naturally, I'm very disappointed not to have been returned as mayor. I've given this role absolutely everything," she said in a statement.

"I've often felt like a special ops warrior, dropped behind enemy lines to clear the slate and rebuild the foundations! We inherited a city facing enormous financial and organisational challenges.

"For those of us who haven't been returned, I think we also need to acknowledge the increasingly hostile environment in which elections are being contested."

Clarence Mayor Brendan Blomeley was also not re-elected.

Newcomer Drew Jenner, who secured 51 per cent of the vote, will be the new mayor.

"I am proud of what we have achieved over this past term," Mr Blomeley said in a statement.

"I was humbled to receive the highest personal vote at this election, and I thank the community for their support and the opportunity to serve as their mayor."

Shane Pitt also lost out to Lindsay Newman on the West Coast, and Michelle Dracoulis has been replaced by Casey Farrell in the Derwent Valley.

"It's very disappointing … I absolutely put everything into this," Ms Dracoulis said.

"After four and a half years, I'm looking forward to having a bit more room to just be me — and maybe dusting off that art degree I popped in the drawer last year."