The city of Ipswich, south-west of Brisbane, has a new Mayor, with Teresa Harding sworn in more than 18 months after the entire council was sacked by the Queensland Government.

Key points: Teresa Harding has become Ipswich's 51st Mayor in a small ceremony held in her own backyard

Teresa Harding has become Ipswich's 51st Mayor in a small ceremony held in her own backyard A report said a culture of secrecy existed in the former council and bullying was commonplace

A report said a culture of secrecy existed in the former council and bullying was commonplace Councillor Harding said she was confident the council would regain the public's trust

The former two-time LNP candidate for the federal seat of Blair was elected as an independent in Queensland's local government elections on March 28.

Today she became Ipswich's 51st Mayor of the city in a small ceremony held in her own backyard.

In 2018, Ipswich City Council made headlines around the country.

Queensland Crime and Corruption Commissions (CCC) investigations into the council saw 15 people, including two former mayors, charged with criminal offences.

In 2019, former mayor Andrew Antoniolli was found guilty of fraud, while his predecessor Paul Pisasale was jailed for two years for extortion.

The entire council was also sacked by the Queensland Government, which passed legislation to do so and replace it with an administrator.

Former mayor Andrew Antoniolli was found guilty of fraud in 2019. ( AAP: Darren England )

Councillor Harding said there was a lot of work to be done to gain the trust of the community once again.

"It is a very serious task coming into an organisation that is injured," she said.

"But it is still delivering and performing for the people affected.

"Trust comes in on the back of a turtle and bolts out the door on the back of a racehorse.

"It's going to take time and we need to make sure the council delivers on what they promise.

"It is up to the council to gain the trust of the public again."

Previous council 'lost over $78 million'

Cr Harding said the first priority for the new Ipswich City Council was to trace and publicly release how council money was spent under the previous administration.

Teresa Harding celebrated being sworn into the top job with her family. ( ABC News: Christopher Gillette )

The previous council administration owned five entities which were focused on developing different infrastructure around the local government area.

They included Ipswich City Properties Pty Ltd, which purchased several sites in the CBD.

"It is really important that we know how our money was spent, and certainly it was hidden away for so many years that those five Ipswich City Council entities [operated]," she said.

"We know [the former administration] lost over $78 million and we need to know where that money went.

"The media have been asking for it, but more importantly, the people of Ipswich want to see it."

She said by publishing the documentation and showing the community where money was spent, it would help the council to "close that chapter and move on".

A report by former interim administrator Greg Chemello stated Ipswich City Properties Pty Ltd spent $121.6 million on the CBD's redevelopment.

But the report found the market value of properties purchased was $42.8 million, which meant the council lost $78 million in the running of the company, which was dissolved in August, 2018.

Mr Chemello's report said a culture of secrecy existed in the former council and bullying was commonplace.

"There was a lack of respect for the law from many of council's most senior leaders, and a culture of 'doing deals' which rippled through the organisation," the report read.

Mr Chemello's report said a culture of secrecy existed in the former council. ( ABC News: Anna Hartley )

'We need to back ourselves'

But Councillor Harding said she was confident trust would be re-established in the council and eventually a good reputation would follow.

"We need to back ourselves and have faith in ourselves," she said.

"We will have a functioning council that works really well and is responsive to the people of Ipswich.

"I look forward to hopefully in the next year or two [when] other councils around Australia will say 'we wish we were like Ipswich, they are the most open council in Australia' — I think we have a lot to look forward to."