The NSW local government elections will be held on Saturday, September 14. Candidates from nine parties responded to three key prompts on transport, development and housing affordability.
Sam Danieli, We Love Sydney
The incumbent increased council rates by 5.1 per cent this year, adding pressure on rents and ratepayers. I will implement a temporary rate freeze to provide immediate relief while developing long-term housing solutions, including creating a dedicated department for affordable housing. I will also reduce and guarantee approval times for new builds to enhance housing supply stability.
Other councils, like Northern Beaches or Lane Cove, average approval times of 101 and 66 days, compared to 150 in the City of Sydney.
On transport, I will lobby for a free tram service to improve city accessibility 24×7 and review bike lanes that lacked proper community consultation, block traffic or endanger pedestrians. Additionally, I will save Moore Park from development and repurposing. To maintain fresh leadership, I will introduce a two-term limit for the mayor because, after 20 years in office, it’s easy to lose the drive to make meaningful changes.
Sylvie Ellsmore, Greens
Over the last 20 years, the gap between rich and poor has grown. Sydney has become the second most expensive city in the world. As your Greens Councillor and former Deputy Mayor, I’ve led Council’s work to take stronger action to tackle the housing crisis, to phase out gas, to provide community groups with free spaces, and more.
Business as usual won’t fix the challenges we face – decades of council schemes have resulted in only 1 per cent of housing stock delivered as affordable housing. This council has voted down making developers deliver more. More Greens on Council will change that.
The Greens have a plan to build accessible, rent-capped homes, require 30 per cent of housing to be affordable, and lower power bills for renters with a council-owned battery network. We must build a city for people that is affordable to work, play and create.
Rachel Evans, Socialist Alliance
Sydney is the second most expensive city to live in the world. The City’s leadership could steer a housing, climate and socially inclusive vision, but are led by corporate greed. They’ve hoarded away $763 million and refuse to buy Selwyn Street, Paddington boarding homes, stand up against developers to save Waterloo’s public housing, or fill 3500 vacant homes.
We need change. Socialist Alliance stands for people over profit and are campaigning for a liveable city with housing justice. As we are heading into dangerous 1.5-degree warming territory, urban planning needs to be climate-proof.
We want land WestConnex stole from the community for active, free, fun and mass transport – bikeways, trams, trains, connector bridges and car-free days. We want an ethical, anti-war city that opposes Israel’s genocide and helps free Palestine. To win a city like this, we need protracted community struggle. Vote socialist and get involved in a campaign near you!
Lyndon Gannon, Liberal
After 20 years it’s clear, the city needs new leadership. Our Emerald City should be about aspiration. It needs a leader who is ambitious for it and one who knows what its people want. It is abundantly clear; the current administration doesn’t have a plan. We only have to look at Oxford Street to see the need for change.
I am the only one who has the experience, energy and proven track record of delivering for the people of Sydney for this important job.
Sydney should be a world class global city like it used to be. A place with a thriving nighttime economy and cultural scene. A well-built, well designed, and well-planned city. This is what I’m committed to, as your Lord Mayor. Not a city like ours that is in bed by 8pm.
Sean Masters, Libertarian
I have lived and worked in Surry Hills for over 25 years. Over the last decade, I have become increasingly alarmed at the rise of dangerous and divisive ideologies infesting our everyday life. I believe the City of Sydney has adopted a global elitist view that does not reflect the day-to-day needs of residents or businesses.
This council has lost sight of what matters, leading to: nowhere to park, congested roads, high rates, punishing fines, zero nightlife and dying small businesses. We’re in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis so it’s time to slash rates and stop fines. It’s time to ease restrictive rules and help small businesses.
I do not believe Council should be political, ideological or try to set the moral agenda by installing #racismnotwelcome street signs or reviewing historical statues. Council should only concern itself with day-to-day matters that affect residents and businesses: high rates, restrictive rules, congested roads and removing rubbish.
Zann Maxwell, Labor
The issues that matter most to Sydney’s future have moved on from Clover Moore’s heyday. Sydney now needs a stronger commitment to fairness and getting the basics right, which a Labor-led Council will deliver. Under the current Lord Mayor, Council isn’t on track to meet even a quarter of its affordable housing target.
As Lord Mayor, I will build and buy homes from the private market to deliver more affordable rental housing for key workers. I will focus on getting the basics right by reversing Clover Moore’s privatisation of garbage collection and aquatic centres and rebuilding the Council services residents deserve.
I will also revitalise our nightlife and vibrancy. Clover Moore has had years to take advantage of state government “vibrancy reforms” but failed to declare any Special Entertainment Precincts. The Labor-led Inner-West Council successfully trialled one on Enmore Road. As Lord Mayor, I will declare five Special Entertainment Precincts across the City to support business and bring back fun.
Clover Moore, Independent
In my time as Lord Mayor, we have delivered annual budget surpluses with outstanding service delivery and capital works projects, while keeping residential rates low and providing free rates for pensioners. We have surged ahead on environmental action and set the ambitious target of net zero emissions by 2035.
We are the only council to increase tree canopy over the past decade with busy bike lanes, thriving villages with greener and transformed high streets, light rail and pedestrianised George Street. We have met the state government’s housing targets while ensuring liveable communities with additional infrastructure like parks, playgrounds, pools and community centres, as well as delivering more affordable housing than anywhere in the country.
I want to continue campaigning for light rail down Parramatta Road and to Green Square to unlock additional housing opportunities, connect education and research institutions with the jobs of the future, and provide a mass transit link for the most densely populated community in Australia.
Sue Ritchie, Independent
Council has failed to get the balance right with transport, eg. Oxford Street East Cycleway is disastrous with: cyclist safety prioritised over pedestrian safety; cars, buses and emergency vehicles sharing only one lane; five right-hand-turns closing causing rat-runs. Such failures must be stopped and not repeated elsewhere.
Developers should be forced to allocate part of their development to affordable housing, to increase speed of supply. Current policy allowing contributions to a fund has failed: Council needs to direct housing providers to invest more in existing stock, eg. boarding houses, not new apartments. Council should invest in affordable housing, eg. buy boarding houses to retain and maximise residents per building.
Losing Verona Cinema is an example of planning failure. Developers must be forced to adhere to DA conditions relating to community benefit, which should include more green spaces so that public golf courses don’t have to repurpose nine holes for parkland.
Yvonne Weldon, Independent
I ran for Council because I care about this city and the people in it, and I see that too many of us aren’t being heard. As rents have soared, housing in the inner city has become unaffordable and too many in our community are being forced out.
As an independent councillor, I’ve consistently advocated for Council to build more affordable housing. I’ve also worked hard to ensure the community benefits from development and that we properly consult. The Lord Mayor has stopped listening and she distances herself from challenges. Oxford Street and other parts of the city have declined on her watch. So too have waste management services.
Local government is best when it’s community-led, and truly independent. I’m a product of South Sydney, I’m running to be Sydney’s first Aboriginal Mayor and I’m leading a great team of independent candidates. The time is right.
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Note: Ten candidates for Lord Mayor have registered with NSWEC. Nine responses (above) were received by deadline.
NSW Electoral Commission
For information phone 1300 135 736.
See also video from Candidates’ Forum hosted by ARAG, FOE and REDWatch.
Whilst I haven’t always agreed with Lord Mayor Clover Moore, I believe Sydney wouldn’t be the global city it is today without her leadership.
Statements, made here by some aspiring to be Lord Mayor, reveal more about their inability to see the big picture than about their capacity to do the job.
Criticizing the current leader while making promises they likely can’t keep is simply not enough.