Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds saves $30,000 by ditching chauffeur-driven car

Hobart city ratepayers were forking out almost $34,000 a year for the Lord Mayor to have a chauffeur-driven car, but not any more.

Anna Reynolds, Hobart Lord Mayor, has saved city ratepayers more than $30,000 over the past year. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

HOBART Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds’ move to stop using a chauffeur-driven car has saved city ratepayers more than $30,000 over the past year.

Documents seen by the Sunday Tasmanian show costs of a chauffeured car – which included monthly operating expenses, fuel, driver’s pay and phone – cost Hobart City Council $33,756 between November 2017 and October 2018. In the same period from 2016 to 2017, the bill was $31,937.

Since her election win in November 2018, Cr Reynolds has scrapped the lord mayor’s car and largely used public transport, Uber or taxi services. The mayor’s transportation bill for the 12 months to October 2019 was reduced to $2102.

“I’ve been surprised that it has been such a substantial saving, and I think it’s a really positive thing for the mayor’s office to find more efficient ways to use ratepayers’ money,” Cr Reynolds said.

“I can still do most things I need to do in the mayor’s role, attending functions and various meetings, but it’s without the, I guess, pomp and ceremony, of having a chauffeur and a car.”

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Cr Reynolds said the chauffeur driver was under contract with a private company and not a council employee.

She said further savings were made when the lord mayor’s vehicle – a Holden Caprice – was not replaced and instead sold at auction for about $25,000, with money returned to the council budget.

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