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.
LABOR
- 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?
Labor’s vision for Sydney is for an affordable, sustainable and liveable City of Sydney.
Property prices and median rent are skyrocketing and the City’s latest Winter Street Count is the highest it’s ever been. Labor will unlock the City’s vacant buildings for affordable housing, create incentives for owners and developers to provide affordable housing, and protect public housing and its tenants.
The City of Sydney has a vital role to play in directly addressing climate change. Labor will set a target for solar energy, divest the City from fossil fuel companies, deliver air filtering technology, and set a target for green spaces of 20 per cent by 2025.
As the City’s population rapidly increases, it is experiencing a 3,300 shortfall in childcare places and its sporting fields are falling in disrepair from overuse. Labor will fund new childcare centres, open up community spaces for out-of-hours school care and deliver more sporting fields.
- COMMUNITY INPUT — How do you propose to ensure broad community input into Council’s planning, programs and service provision?
Labor will bring a diverse team of councillors to the City of Sydney, with a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences. We are committed to holding monthly street stalls in locations around the City. We will introduce community councils in the style of community cabinets hosted by the previous Federal Labor Government. And Labor is committed to evidence-based infrastructure planning with clear time frames for when infrastructure will be delivered.
- 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?
Labor will end the blame game and the empty grandstanding.
Over the past term on Council, we have provided a voice for local residents on a number of State Government projects and issues. We have advocated against WestConnex, for improved public transport options in the Central to Eveleigh Development Project, for a new public school in Ultimo, and to invest monies from the sale of Millers Point back into new social and affordable housing.
Labor will put the people of Sydney first and work to deliver the best outcome for residents.
