Ipswich City Mayor Teresa Harding rewrote the city’s political history as the new council was sworn in on Tuesday night.
In the Dandiiri Room, she became the first female Mayor in the city’s history to be sworn in by Council’s first female Chief Executive Officer, Ms Sonia Cooper, beginning a new and modern era of Ipswich City Council.
Re-elected with 13.92% of the vote ahead of her second-time opponent for the top job David Martin, Harding has been delivered the clear mandate from the voters of the city to lead for the next four-year term.
As Ipswich’s 51st elected Mayor, Harding will form one of the very few female Mayor and CEO leadership teams in the country.
“Ipswich has come such a long way in just a few years. We are now a modern, diverse, and inclusive community, and I am proud to see that our Council reflects this,” Mayor Harding said.
“Having both a female Mayor and CEO, and strong diversity right across Council, has come at a time when our organisation and community needed a fresh and supportive approach to the city’s leadership.”
Mayor Harding took the oath of office alongside eight councillors for the 2024-2028 term during an official Swearing in Ceremony attended by family and friends.
“I would like to thank the Ipswich community for their strong support and the trust they have put in me once again to lead this great city,” Mayor Harding said.
“As I lead this new Council moving forward, we will continue to build on the many achievements we’ve made over the past four years.
“We have made our Council the most transparent in Australia, stood up to the waste industry, secured government funding for roads and sporting facilities, and we are in the middle of delivering the biggest road upgrades to our local network.
“As we continue to grow, my goal is to build on that growth, working with Councillors to move the city forward sustainably, deliver great services and to lead Ipswich with honesty and integrity.
“Our first major focus is building the 2024-2025 budget, looking to keep rates as low as possible while continuing to deliver the services and infrastructure our community deserve.”
Alongside Mayor Harding, eight divisional councillors were also sworn in:
Division 1
Councillors – Jacob Madsen and Pye Augustine
Division 2
Councillors – Paul Tully and Nicole Jonic
Division 3
Councillors – Marnie Doyle and Andrew Antoniolli
Division 4
Councillors – Jim Madden and David Cullen
“I know they are passionate about their communities and will strive to get the best outcome for their residents as well as the city as a whole,” Mayor Harding said on the elected Councillors.
