I’m from Launceston and I’m here to help Hobart

A FORMER Launceston City Council alderman has thrown his hat into the ring to be Lord Mayor of Hobart.

Darren Alexander will launch his independent campaign today in Hobart on a platform of “sensible, commonsense leadership”.

“I can bring leadership along with my business and governance experience,” he told the Mercury yesterday.

“Hobart City Council has this toxic culture of continual argument between each other when they really need to work together.”

Mr Alexander, 52, was a Launceston alderman from 2014 until his resignation this week. He has managed his IT business Autech Software & Design for 20-plus years and started his digital media company Beetle Black Media about two years ago.

The father-of-two said he was moving back to Hobart for work and family.

“Work has grown in Hobart requiring me to spend more time there and my wife wants to move back to be closer to her father,” he said.

On the topic of building heights, Mr Alexander said different height zones across the city was a great idea but it was important the community had its say.

On short-term accommodation he said the system at the moment was unfair and more regulation was required.

When asked about the cable car, he said he supported any development that created jobs and provided better amenity for locals and tourists as long as it met all the environmental and planning criteria.