Tasmania has lost one its brightest young politicians and many have lost a dear friend.

In the sometimes stuffy atmosphere of local government, Jeremy was a breath of fresh air. In his early thirties when first elected to council in 2007, he had already accumulated a wealth of life and professional experience that informed his actions on council.

He studied dramatic arts at NIDA before working both interstate and overseas in education, business and the arts.

By the time he returned to his native Launceston, Jeremy had acquired French and Japanese and cultivated a cosmopolitan outlook.

Perhaps it was this that gave him a passion for working with Launceston’s migrant community and led to his role in establishing Safe Asylum; a group dedicated to standing up for people’s legal and human right to seek asylum.

Jeremy’s experience overseas allowed him to see the yet-to-be-fulfilled potential Launceston’s CBD held.

One of his most recent initiatives was the Launceston City Heart Project, a visionary and timely joint effort between Launceston City Council and The UTAS School of Architecture to try out new ways to activate Launceston’s CBD with a series of pop-up prototypes using temporary materials.

Jeremy was also an effective and powerful advocate for the natural environment, including active participation in the fight to save the Blue Tier.

January’s Forest Festival this year was the last time that I saw Jeremy.

As always, he was overflowing with energy and enthusiasm.

These were some of the qualities that always made him such an inspiring person to work with and be around.

Jeremy’s death will be a great loss to the City of Launceston, and to Tasmania.

My thoughts are with his family, friends and loved ones.

He will be greatly missed.

_ ALDERMAN HELEN BURNET, Hobart Town Hall.