Ex-60 Minutes reporter frontrunner for Hobart mayor

Former 60 Minutes reporter Charles Wooley is a frontrunner to become Hobart's new lord mayor, with votes from council elections across Tasmania being tallied.

Across Tasmania's 29 councils, 441 candidates are contesting 213 councillor positions, with 258 also standing for mayor or deputy mayor. 

Most mayoral results are expected to be finalised by Wednesday evening, with larger councils continuing into Thursday morning. 

As of Wednesday evening, Mr Wooley, a veteran journalist and author whose campaign included a "moratorium on new bike lanes" and an end to council infighting with "reason, not ideology", is leading the count for Hobart councillors, with former cinema owner and businessman John Kelly also polling strongly.

Tasmanian election analyst Kevin Bonham said the Hobart mayoral contest "appears to be between Wooley and Kelly, and close".

In Launceston, incumbent mayor Matthew Garwood is well ahead of his rivals for a council position.

Alison Jarman has been re-elected as mayor of the Devonport City Council, securing almost 65 per cent of the vote.

Gerard Blizzard has also been re-elected as Circular Head Council mayor, after being first elected to the council in 2018, and Stephanie Cameron has been elected as Mayor in the Meander Valley.

Ms Cameron secured almost 64 per cent of the vote.

Rachel Summers has also been re-elected as Flinders Island Council mayor. Vanessa Grace will be her Deputy, elected unopposed.

Giovanna Simpson is leading in first preference votes for Burnie City Council and Cheryl Fuller is leading for Central Coast Council.

Greg Dawson has been elected as George Town's mayor.

John Hall has been elected unopposed as Deputy Mayor of the Central Highlands.

The Tasmanian Electoral Commission said the final statewide participation rate was 85.6 per cent, an increase on the 84.8 per cent participation rate in the 2022 council elections.