New DV Council sworn in

Pic: new DV Council left to right Ben Shaw, Julie Triffett, Jess Burns, Neil Biggar, New DV Mayor Casey Farrell and DV Council CEO Wes Young.- Absent Michelle Dracoulis and Luke Browning.

Members of the newly elected Derwent Valley Council were sworn in yesterday at an Oath Of Office ceremony in New Norfolk.

The Oath of Office is an important part of local government, with elected representatives formally committing to their council seats.

New Mayor Casey Farrell and councillors Neil Biggar, Julie Triffett, Jess Burns and Ben Shaw recited and signed the oath with Michelle Dracoulis and Luke Browning forwarding on apologies.

The ceremony marked an important milestone for the freshly elected council with new and old representation bringing a broad range of experience and perspective back to the table.

Derwent Valley Council CEO Wes Young said " I'm delighted at the prospect of working with the new Council over the next four years.
New Mayor Casey Farrell gave his first speech and also thanked Michelle Dracoulis for her time and energy in the role as Mayor for the previous 5 years. 

Casey also congratulated councillors on their election success and thanked all of the candidates who ran and encouraged them to run again citing "This was my third election and the first time I've won, so I'd certainly encourage you all to consider running again in the future".

Casey also thanked his partner and family for their support and the whole Derwent Valley community and went on to say  "About a year and a half ago I gave my first speech in the Tasmanian House of Assembly. I finished by saying that being elected to parliament was a great privilege and that none of us knew how long we'd have so we ought to make the most of it. There is a touch of irony in how little time I actually ended up having there. Public office is an enormous responsibility and a privilege and I will do my absolute best for this place because I believe , as my parents did, that this is the greatest place to live and raise a family.

Casey went on to say "we've got world renowned places like Mt Field National Park on our doorstep and artists, musicians and makers giving us all sorts of reasons to love this place."

"I want all of these people and the community to feel that the council is in their corner. When someone comes to us with an idea for their neighborhood I want them to find someone willing to sit down with them and help work out what's possible. When we're making a decision that affects the place people deserve to have their say while it can make a difference and then it's our job to go back and explain what we decided and why. That's how we start to rebuild trust."

"Four years will go pretty quickly and the decisions we make together will shape the Valley for decades.I'm looking forward to sitting down with my fellow councillors and with Council staff to work through those questions. If we know what we want the Valley to look like in twenty years we can make better decisions about what to do in the next four."

Mayor Casey Farrell finished by saying "Thank you for trusting me to serve as your Mayor. This place means the world to me and I'll give it my all".

With a refreshed council and a new mayor the 2026-2030 term represents an opportunity for a new chapter in the local government history of the Derwent Valley.

For residents of New Norfolk and the wider Derwent Valley the coming months will provide an early indication of how the new council intends to deliver on its commitments and tackle the issues that matter most. 

The first formal council meeting is scheduled for Thursday November 26