An Active Four and a Half Years

Clover Moore MP Lord Mayor of Sydney

During the last four and a half years we have worked to honour our commitments to you and to our city. We unified the amalgamated City and delivered the cultural change needed to focus our organisation on progressive policy and better facilities and services. We have acted on the imperative for a more sustainable Sydney now and into the future.

We are Australia’s first carbon neutral Council. We have cut water use in City parks, pools, depots and offices. We have a city transport plan and have begun construction on the City’s first separated cycleway.

We’ve upgraded more than 32 local parks, planted more than 5,000 street trees, landscaped at least 3,000m2 of gardens and traffic islands each year, and removed 3,400 signs to reduce clutter.

New facilities and open space include the impressive Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre in Ultimo, Harmony Park in Surry Hills, the beautiful Glebe Foreshore Walk and Sydney Park wetlands.

Other significant projects nearing completion on former languishing sites include Redfern Park and Oval, Paddington Reservoir, the Water Police site park in Pyrmont; Burton Street Tabernacle in East Sydney; and the new Surry Hills Library and Community Centre.

Extensive Local Action Plan consultation and implementation for local neighbourhoods honoured our City of Villages commitments.

For people with special needs, we’ve strengthened homeless, aged and  disability support, expanded childcare, and employed a public housing liaison officer to work with our tenants.

We’ve increased community grants, expanded community consultation and involvement, improved customer service and overhauled access to information.

The cultural life of our city is a high priority and we support Sydney Festival; Art and About; Sydney Writers’ Festival; Sydney Film Festival; the Biennale; Mardi Gras; Chinese New Year; Live Green; Primo Italiano; the Danks Street Festival and neighbourhood festivals. We have embarked on an exciting new public art program with works in Redfern, Ultimo, Glebe and the CBD. Provision of artist studios is a priority and already the Carlton United Brewery (CUB) site developer has responded by agreeing to provide artists’ studios on Kensington Lane.

A new City Plan to strengthen planning, development and heritage controls has been developed after extensive consultation and research. We use design and public art advisory panels made up of eminent practitioners for city projects and public spaces including public art.

Importantly, Sustainable Sydney 2030 is a vision for the future and will help position Sydney as one of the world’s leading green cities. It has been presented and promoted to the State and Federal Governments and internationally.

Lord Mayor’s salary trust

My Lord Mayoral salary fees have provided $500,000 in funding for innovative city projects and agencies that support people in need or care for neglected animals.

Clover Moore MP
Lord Mayor of Sydney

And a 2030 Vision for Sydney ’s Future

Our Sustainable Sydney 2030 vision, driven by the need to address global warming and plan for Sydney’s future, proposes action across all aspects of the City’s community, social, cultural and economic life.

Our 2030 vision initiates ideas and projects such as more sustainable buildings, integrated transport and cleaner energy generation. A feasibility study for affordable housing in partnership with the State is underway, as well as planning for the Eora Journey and an Indigenous cultural centre. Land is being purchased opposite Town Hall to create a new civic plaza and construction has started on separated cycle lanes in central Sydney.

Image: Vision for Future City Park