City of Hobart welcomes community portfolio members

Published on 27 April 2023

One hundred community members with a wide range of skills and experience have successfully put their hands up to serve on the City of Hobart’s portfolio committees.

The community members were confirmed by the Hobart City Council at Monday night’s council meeting and will serve across the City’s 11 portfolios – City Economy, City Heritage, City Mobility, City Water, Climate Futures, Creative City, Future Hobart, Healthy Hobart, Housing and Homelessness, Sustainability in Infrastructure and Welcoming and Inclusive City.

A diverse range of community members from all walks of life and backgrounds will be members of the portfolio committees.

They will join a range of experts in their fields, such as author and historian Professor Cassandra Pybus (City Heritage), retail marketing expert Dr Louise Grimmer (City Economy) and the Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs Council of Tasmania chief executive officer Alison Lai (Healthy Hobart).

Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said these advisory committees would play an important role in the capital’s future.

“The City of Hobart’s portfolio committees will help shape policy in collaboration with the community,” Cr Reynolds said.

“They will provide advice on the development of initiatives and strategies to make Hobart an even better place to live, work and play.

“I want to thank everyone who applied to join these important committees and congratulate all the successful applicants.”

Laura Smith is a Future Hobart community member who said she hoped being part of the committees would be beneficially both for the City and personally.

“I just thought it sounded like a really interesting way to get input from the community,” said Ms Smith (pictured alongside City Economy community member Casey Farrell).

“Through my work I am involved in some community consultation processes and I thought it was a really proactive and interesting way to get diverse input and I am personally really interested in the way Hobart could change.

“I hope to have input, but I think it would be really interesting to hear a diverse set of voices and discover what other people’s visions are for Hobart.

“It is good way to meet people and be involved in a collaborative committee that discusses those big ideas.”