Councillor Will Coats spends half his time in Canberra but says his home and heart is definitely in Hobart

He might spend half his time in Canberra, but Will Coats says he is still firmly committed to his $41,616 role as a member of the Hobart City Council.

New Hobart City Council Alderman Will Coats. Picture: Zak Simmonds

A Hobart councillor has defended spending time working interstate and says it does not impact his council duties.

Will Coats was elected last November after a recount was conducted when Simon Behrakis resigned to take a seat in the House of Assembly replacing former Attorney-General Elise Archer as a member for Clark.

A business analyst, Mr Coats said it was a “shock” when Ms Archer resigned and his contract and consulting work meant he spent “probably 50 per cent of the time” in Canberra.

“I’ve still got a day a fortnight which is my council time,” Mr Coats said.

“I sat down with the (council) CEO and had discussions with him around this, so they are aware of it, obviously, in terms of making sure that my priority is attending the meetings that I need to attend for council.

“I’m the chair of the Healthy Hobart Committee so I chair those meetings and I attend the council meetings and I was down for a workshop for the budget and for the planning strategy day coming up.

“My full time job is not council, but I’ve structured my affairs so that I can do my councillor work.”

Mr Coats came to Hobart from Canberra in 2006 to study a degree in information systems at the University of Tasmania.

He said in “the modern world a lot of people do FIFO (fly-in fly-out) work.”

“I’m committed to Hobart,” Mr Coats said.

“I love the city. I live there, my address is Dynnyrne and that’s my home.”

Council CEO Michael Stretton said he was aware of Mr Coats’ commitments.

“I can confirm that this matter has previously been raised with me, and Councillor Coats is meeting all Local Government Act Requirements to be an elected member,” he told the Mercury.

After his election last year Mr Coats, who stood for the Liberal Party in Clark in 2021, said he wanted the council to improve its relationship with developers to pave the way for more housing.

He secured a comfortable win in the recount over former long-serving alderman Jeff Briscoe.

It was the second time he had been elected to the council on a recount with the first in 2020 after the resignation of Tanya Denison.

As at November 2023, Hobart councillors receive an annual allowance of $41,616.

Originally published as Councillor Will Coats spends half his time in Canberra but says his home and heart is definitely in Hobart