We asked each Lord Mayoral candidate to respond on behalf of their team to three questions raised by our readers. One non-aligned independent candidate standing for councillor was also given the opportunity to respond.
For the first time it is compulsory for business and property owners within the City of Sydney to vote. A total of 22,972 non-residential voters were verified by the NSW Electoral Commission as eligible to vote at the 2016 City of Sydney election.
- PROGRESS — What do you and your team want the Council to achieve in the coming term and what programs and services need to be reassessed?
Sydney Matters Independent Team was formed because we heard the community say the current City of Sydney administration is out of touch.
We want an administration that gets out of the Town Hall bunker to address the issues that we need to deliver on. We want the City to embrace technology to promote tourism and make it much easier for the community to have more say on planning and other policy decisions. We want to create a vibrant 24-hour economy, where iconic areas in our city are revitalized and it is safe and easy to get around no matter what time of the day.
And we want to make sure all of our community voices are heard and that Council, as guardians of their taxes, address issues such as transport, parking, safety, waste management, homelessness and other public amenity.
- COMMUNITY INPUT — How do you propose to ensure broad community input into Council’s planning, programs and service provision?
Today, community input into what happens in the City is an afterthought. The current administration even keeps input into planning, programs and service provision by elected councillors, who aren’t part of the majority party, to the bare minimum. Decisions are made behind closed doors.
We need to get greater public involvement and awareness of Council’s plans through technology such as Brisbane’s Virtual Brisbane, which enables early public consultation on proposed developments. Unlike the way the City went about the future plan for the city, where community comments were invited when it was almost a done deal, we will open up plans to public comment early in the process.
Sydney Matters will take a democratic and open approach to plans and decisions.
- ADVOCACY — Given that the decisions of the state government will have big impacts on local communities in the City of Sydney, what issues and role do you see Council playing in advocating for the inner-city community?
Sydney Matters believes a strong and pro-active relationship with the State Government is the most effective way to ensure the best outcomes for Australia’s biggest city.
There are 33 suburbs within our boundaries. They comprise a wonderfully rich and diverse set of communities, cultures and lifestyles. Equally, every community has its own specific needs whether it be traffic management, shopping hours, issues around schools or transport services.
While the City Council can do a lot, it must ensure it has durable working relationships with both the State and Federal Governments, whichever parties may be in power. Being at loggerheads, as has been the case in recent years, is damaging for all our communities and limits what can be achieved.
Sydney Matters is an independent party unencumbered by party allegiances or baggage.
