Mayor Abby McKibben and the newly elected Councillors officially took office at a public swearing-in ceremony at the Lost Captain Huonville on Friday 6 November 2026, marking the start of a 4-year term.
Mayor McKibben was sworn in alongside Deputy Mayor Debbie Armstrong and Councillors Paul Gibson, Maureen Ryan, Marshall Callaghan and David O’Neill. Councillor Mark Jessop will be sworn in later this week. It is the first Huon Valley Council with 7 elected members, reduced from 9. Four councillors returned from the previous term, joined by 3 new members.
Members of the outgoing council, including former Mayor Sally Doyle, attended to welcome the new Council. Their presence was a chance to pass the baton, recognise the work of the past term and share a commitment to the Huon Valley community.
Mayor McKibben thanked former Mayor Doyle, former Deputy Mayor Toby Thorpe and former Councillors Amy Robertson, Lukas Mrosek and Andrew Burgess for their service. She acknowledged the solid foundation they have built during a significant period of change for Council.
“I’m incredibly proud and excited to be stepping into the role of Mayor for our Huon Valley, alongside a really incredible group of other newly elected members,” Mayor McKibben said.
“I think voters have delivered a good mix of diversity in experience and representation from across the valley and hope the community feels seen in the way we represent them in the chamber.”
“I believe good leadership starts with listening and leading with empathy. I want people to feel connected to their council and confident that their voices are being heard. We’ve all heard loud and clear during our campaigns that our priority must be on finding ways to reduce our rates, and I can assure you it will be. We all pay rates and feel the burden of these increases too.”
“I’m looking forward to continuing the work of our predecessors, while bringing fresh energy and new experience to our shared focus on delivering positive outcomes for our Huon Valley.”
“I’ll be diving into this role basically full-time from December, alongside our farm and have a strong commitment to being an open, transparent, and accessible Mayor who will always put the interests of our community first.”
Councillors first induction workshop is on Wednesday 11 November, ahead of their first Ordinary Council Meeting scheduled for 25 November at Council Chambers from 6pm.
Information about the Mayor and new councillors will soon be added to Council’s website at Councillors – Huon Valley Council.
