Raw transcription output the original public video recording
https://www.facebook.com/friendsoferskineville/videos/1771427860056597/
using OpenAI Whisper ggml-large-v2.bin. As this is machine generated, there are spelling errors in
some cases, though I attempted to correct spelling of names.
With the NSW Local Council and Mayoral Elections fast approaching next month, a reminder ARAG, Friends of Erskineville, and REDwatch are jointly hosting a City of Sydney – Lord Mayoral Candidates Forum on Wednesday, 21 August at the Alexandria Town Hall at 7pm. https://arag.org.au/2024/08/15/city-of-sydney-lord-mayoral-candidates-forum-21-august-2024/
Note: Sylvie Ellsmore (Green's candidate) stated she is a founding member of RedWatch, who jointly hosted the event.
This transcription is machine generated and not guaranteed to be correct. Do not quote without also checking the original video using the provided timestamps.
See raw-transcription-output.txt for the raw, unedited, machine generated transcript.
Below is a slightly formatted modification. Only formatting or spelling changes have been made (eg. newlines, capitalisation, paragraph separation).
All modifications are visible by viewing the Git history of this file: https://github.com/jakecoppinger/friends-of-erskinville-lord-mayoral-candidates-forum/commits/main/README.md
Wikipedia page of the candidates is at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Sydney_City_Council_election
[00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.800] action group and I will be comparing tonight's forum with Deborah Giblett
[00:00:04.800 --> 00:00:09.040] who's the president of Friends of Erskineville. I welcome and acknowledge
[00:00:09.040 --> 00:00:15.680] Geoff Turnbull, Red Watch's co-spokesperson and the committee members of all three
[00:00:15.680 --> 00:00:20.880] organisations who are here tonight. I would like to begin by acknowledging we
[00:00:20.880 --> 00:00:25.680] meet on the traditional lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation and I
[00:00:25.680 --> 00:00:31.480] pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging. I'd like to extend a very
[00:00:31.480 --> 00:00:35.880] warm welcome to the Lord Mayoral Candidates Forum for the City of Sydney
[00:00:35.880 --> 00:00:40.760] which is hosted by Alexandria Residents Action Group, the Friends of Erskineville
[00:00:40.760 --> 00:00:46.480] and Red Watch. We are live streaming this event but due to time
[00:00:46.480 --> 00:00:50.840] constraints we will not be taking questions from outside the building. The
[00:00:50.840 --> 00:00:54.920] council elections will be held on Saturday the 14th of September, less than
[00:00:54.920 --> 00:00:59.600] one month away. Tonight we have nine candidates, nine of the candidates
[00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:03.920] standing for Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney. In alphabetical order they are
[00:01:03.920 --> 00:01:08.400] Clover Moore of the Clover Moore Independent Team, Lyndon Gannon of the
[00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:14.080] Liberal Party, Rachel Evans of the Socialist Alliance, Sam Danieli of the
[00:01:14.080 --> 00:01:19.680] We Love Sydney group, Sean Masters the Libertarian Party, Sue Ritchie
[00:01:19.680 --> 00:01:26.040] Independent, Sylvie Ellsmore the Greens, Yvonne Weldon Unite for Sydney and
[00:01:26.040 --> 00:01:32.280] Zann Maxwell of the Australian Labor Party. The format of tonight's candidate
[00:01:32.280 --> 00:01:36.960] forum will be as follows. Each candidate has been given the same three issues as
[00:01:36.960 --> 00:01:40.920] determined by an online survey of residents and they have been asked to
[00:01:40.920 --> 00:01:46.440] speak on those issues within a time slot of six minutes. The questions are
[00:01:46.440 --> 00:01:51.680] transport, finding a balance between pedestrians, cyclists, vehicle drivers and
[00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:57.720] public transport users. Development, ensuring that development incorporates
[00:01:57.720 --> 00:02:02.800] the delivery of community benefits such as parks, open spaces, areas for people to
[00:02:02.800 --> 00:02:08.800] come together. Housing affordability, the role of council in maximising the
[00:02:08.800 --> 00:02:12.560] delivery of affordable housing via the council's contribution scheme and
[00:02:12.560 --> 00:02:16.520] allocation to community housing providers, the affordable and diverse
[00:02:16.520 --> 00:02:21.160] housing fund, the city's strategic planning and housing targets, the city's
[00:02:21.160 --> 00:02:26.840] planning consent and refusal vis-a-vis net loss of dwellings. Candidates will be
[00:02:26.840 --> 00:02:31.240] given a reminder bell at five minutes and at six minutes we'll have to stop
[00:02:31.240 --> 00:02:36.320] his speaking. This will be strictly enforced. Once all candidates have
[00:02:36.320 --> 00:02:40.440] presented we will invite you to pose your own questions by lining up in front
[00:02:40.440 --> 00:02:43.640] of the microphone over here.
[00:02:43.640 --> 00:02:55.720] I'm pleased to be able to introduce to you our first speaker Yvonne Weldon. Yvonne
[00:02:55.720 --> 00:02:59.920] is a proud Wiradjuri woman and the first Aboriginal councillor in the city of
[00:02:59.920 --> 00:03:05.240] Sydney's 180 year history. She's held numerous senior positions in the New
[00:03:05.240 --> 00:03:09.560] South Wales government and Aboriginal controlled organisations working across
[00:03:09.560 --> 00:03:15.520] health, human services, child care, child protection, housing, disability services
[00:03:15.520 --> 00:03:20.800] and Aboriginal heritage. She has served as the elected chair of the Metropolitan
[00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:25.880] Local Aboriginal Council, deputy chair of the New South Wales Australia Day
[00:03:25.880 --> 00:03:30.280] Council and as a board member of Domestic Violence New South Wales. Please
[00:03:30.280 --> 00:03:41.160] join me in welcoming Yvonne.
[00:03:41.160 --> 00:03:53.080] Slightly shorter. Good evening everyone. As I said my name is Yvonne Weldon. I am a
[00:03:53.080 --> 00:03:57.720] Wiradjuri woman from Cowra here in New South Wales. I need and appropriately
[00:03:57.720 --> 00:04:02.160] acknowledge that we are on Gadigal land and it's an important part of
[00:04:02.160 --> 00:04:07.960] acknowledging who we are and who's come before us and in saying that I also need
[00:04:07.960 --> 00:04:12.440] to acknowledge my elders that have come before me and certainly created the
[00:04:12.440 --> 00:04:17.520] movement here in Redfern, nearby Redfern, where they created all the Aboriginal
[00:04:17.520 --> 00:04:25.560] organisations from the early stages and from the early days of the 1960s, 1970s
[00:04:25.560 --> 00:04:30.040] and continue here today. I have a strong connection to this area. In fact, I
[00:04:30.040 --> 00:04:34.280] actually when my mum was pregnant with me before she had me at King George the
[00:04:34.280 --> 00:04:39.800] Fifth Hospital, we lived in London Street, Enmore and later on Mitchell Road here in
[00:04:39.800 --> 00:04:45.080] Alexandria. I've continued my connection here and around these suburbs my entire
[00:04:45.080 --> 00:04:50.160] life. Thank you for the ARAG and Friends of Erskineville and Red Watch for
[00:04:50.160 --> 00:04:54.440] coordinating this forum and thank you for all that you do to inform and engage
[00:04:54.440 --> 00:04:59.480] the local communities. Each of the community groups across the city have
[00:04:59.480 --> 00:05:04.200] different focuses. They share the commitment of ARAG, Friends and
[00:05:04.200 --> 00:05:08.360] Erskineville, Friends of Erskineville, Red Watch and preserve the diversity of
[00:05:08.360 --> 00:05:14.640] this area and it is one that's close to my heart. I ran for council because I
[00:05:14.640 --> 00:05:20.040] care about this city and the people in it and I see that too many of us aren't
[00:05:20.040 --> 00:05:25.560] being heard. The time has arrived for fresh leadership. My vision is for a
[00:05:25.560 --> 00:05:31.040] vibrant inclusive city humming with opportunity and accessible to all. I'm
[00:05:31.040 --> 00:05:36.760] very keen to hear from all of you after we say our piece too. We're in the midst of a
[00:05:36.760 --> 00:05:41.680] housing crisis, that is my starting point. As rents have soared, housing in the
[00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:46.200] inner city has become unaffordable and too many in our community are being
[00:05:46.200 --> 00:05:51.800] forced out. As an independent councillor, I've consistently advocated for council to
[00:05:51.800 --> 00:05:56.120] play a more ambitious role. We need to incentivise and require major
[00:05:56.120 --> 00:06:01.920] developments to build affordable housing on site and not just pay a levy. As mayor
[00:06:01.920 --> 00:06:06.920] I will work with the state government to approve more housing and require more
[00:06:06.920 --> 00:06:12.200] major developments to include affordable rental housing built on site. I'll also
[00:06:12.200 --> 00:06:16.640] double the city's affordable housing fund to provide more homes for essential
[00:06:16.640 --> 00:06:23.320] workers, creatives, young people and women escaping domestic violence and I'll put a
[00:06:23.320 --> 00:06:27.400] stop to the net loss of dwellings when apartments have been redeveloped into
[00:06:27.400 --> 00:06:32.520] high-end homes. On the Waterloo South redevelopment I'll work with the local
[00:06:32.520 --> 00:06:37.880] community to ensure the better outcomes. I appreciate that some residents don't
[00:06:37.880 --> 00:06:43.120] want to be relocated from their homes of 20 plus years in some cases. I'd like to
[00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:47.280] acknowledge the role of Red Watch in ensuring better communication to tenants
[00:06:47.280 --> 00:06:52.980] so they don't just learn about their fate in the news. I welcome the state
[00:06:52.980 --> 00:06:57.480] government commitments for public housing in the last budget along with the
[00:06:57.480 --> 00:07:02.040] establishment of Homes NSW and I applaud the work that Minister Rose
[00:07:02.040 --> 00:07:08.320] Jackson has been doing. We need to build on this and to say goodbye to the snake
[00:07:08.320 --> 00:07:13.240] that was the Land and Housing Corporation eating its own tail to grow.
[00:07:13.240 --> 00:07:18.200] As an independent councillor I've worked hard to ensure the community benefits
[00:07:18.200 --> 00:07:25.880] from development and what property and what we properly properly consult. Our
[00:07:25.880 --> 00:07:31.840] city is incredibly diverse it is important to understand and appreciate
[00:07:31.840 --> 00:07:37.000] that. What works in Piermont won't work in Alexandria and the concerns of
[00:07:37.000 --> 00:07:42.960] residents in Zetland differ greatly from those in Waterloo next door. When we do
[00:07:42.960 --> 00:07:47.000] things in partnership with local communities we achieve better outcomes
[00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:52.060] whether it be the opening of new parks and sporting fields, the position of
[00:07:52.060 --> 00:07:56.880] public toilets in Erskineville or making community centres more accessible, waiving
[00:07:56.880 --> 00:08:01.040] fees for community groups or preventing the senseless installation of giant
[00:08:01.040 --> 00:08:07.360] advertising screens in our high streets. We need to protect and build upon our
[00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:12.640] existing transport infrastructure. The opening of the new Metro is a milestone
[00:08:12.640 --> 00:08:18.240] and it will be great for our city in this area but more for a better active
[00:08:18.240 --> 00:08:23.600] transport infrastructure too. We need to continue to improve the walkability and
[00:08:23.600 --> 00:08:29.960] accessibility for our streets for all. I've joined the chorus of voices pushing
[00:08:29.960 --> 00:08:33.960] for a footbridge connecting North and South Everleigh. The state government
[00:08:33.960 --> 00:08:38.880] needs to make this happen and if they won't council might need to bite the
[00:08:38.880 --> 00:08:44.360] bullet and chip in some funds to bring them to the table and to see this happen.
[00:08:44.360 --> 00:08:50.640] Bad cycleway policy is driving Sydney. When done right like on Bourke Street in
[00:08:50.640 --> 00:08:56.120] Redfern and Wilson Street in Darlington it's great but the pop-up cycleways on
[00:08:56.120 --> 00:09:00.720] Henderson Street in Erskineville, Ridge Road in Glebe and Moor Park Road are
[00:09:00.720 --> 00:09:07.120] disastrous. They were installed overnight with no consultation, poorly constructed,
[00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:13.000] unsafe and underutilised. As an independent I've had some hard-fought
[00:09:13.000 --> 00:09:18.240] wins. I'm proud to have stood with the residents in Elka Street in Glebe who
[00:09:18.240 --> 00:09:22.720] live in community housing designated for those that are less mobile to see much
[00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:27.940] need accessibility to upgrade the streetscape. I'm proud to support the
[00:09:27.940 --> 00:09:31.600] Paddington locals fight to make sure their neighbours in boarding houses, many
[00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:35.880] elderly otherwise vulnerable don't get turfed out into their homes. I'm proud to
[00:09:35.880 --> 00:09:39.840] be successfully advocated for targeted support for local community services
[00:09:39.840 --> 00:09:44.000] like the settlement. The LORD MAYOR has stopped listening, she distanced herself
[00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:47.800] from challenges and she only meets with community groups when there's political
[00:09:47.800 --> 00:09:52.520] pressures to do so. Thank you.
[00:09:52.520 --> 00:10:01.680] Our next speaker is Lyndon Gannon. Lyndon Gannon is a lifelong local of Sydney's inner city
[00:10:01.680 --> 00:10:05.840] having grown up in Glebe and Ashfield. He was elected as a Liberal Councillor
[00:10:05.840 --> 00:10:11.560] in 2021 and has fought hard for local issues including advocating to name the
[00:10:11.560 --> 00:10:16.840] Erskineville Oval grandstand in honour of Johnny Lewis, establishing a review into
[00:10:16.840 --> 00:10:21.840] the bungled billboard rollout and in an Australian first established the first
[00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:27.200] local government lobbyist meeting code of practice. Lyndon was a competitive
[00:10:27.200 --> 00:10:32.020] boxer for years training out of the mundane gym at the block. He continues to
[00:10:32.020 --> 00:10:39.920] support junior boxing clubs throughout the PCYC movement. Welcome Lyndon.
[00:10:39.920 --> 00:10:52.000] Well thank you and thank you for everyone for coming tonight. I too would
[00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:54.880] like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land in which we meet, the
[00:10:54.880 --> 00:10:59.760] Gadigal of the Eora Nation and pay respects to elders past and present. I'd
[00:10:59.760 --> 00:11:02.320] also like to acknowledge the other candidates here tonight and my
[00:11:02.320 --> 00:11:05.460] councillor counterparts and the Lord Mayor of course for coming tonight too.
[00:11:05.460 --> 00:11:09.840] I'm of course Lyndon Gannon your Liberal Councillor on the City of Sydney and I'm
[00:11:09.840 --> 00:11:15.320] the youngest Councillor on Council in the youngest electorate in the state.
[00:11:15.320 --> 00:11:19.520] It's the end of my first term which has been an absolute privilege and honour to
[00:11:19.520 --> 00:11:23.400] represent you in the city. I've done a lot in the last two years for instance I
[00:11:23.400 --> 00:11:27.420] kept the TWU to account during the protracted industrial dispute when your
[00:11:27.420 --> 00:11:31.020] rubbish was piling up. I know many of you emailed me with your rubbish concerns
[00:11:31.020 --> 00:11:36.000] and I hope I answered those in time. My Keep Sydney al fresco campaign
[00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:40.140] removed the requirement to be a seated while at outdoor dining spaces, something
[00:11:40.140 --> 00:11:43.880] that the Premier Chris Mins has since taken up in the last week or so which is
[00:11:43.880 --> 00:11:48.200] really excited and thrilled that he's done. I fought to establish the review
[00:11:48.200 --> 00:11:52.280] of the bungled billboards, bungled rollout of the advertising billboards
[00:11:52.280 --> 00:11:56.580] and as was already said an Australian first delivered the first lobbyist and
[00:11:56.580 --> 00:12:00.640] property developer meeting code of conduct, code of practice which ICAC
[00:12:00.640 --> 00:12:03.720] had been asking for for over 10 years and I'm very proud to have delivered
[00:12:03.720 --> 00:12:07.960] that. Of course championed the establishment of Qtopia transforming
[00:12:07.960 --> 00:12:12.520] the former Darlinghurst police station into Sydney's first permanent pride
[00:12:12.520 --> 00:12:17.520] centre, another one of my proudest achievements. But the local issue
[00:12:17.520 --> 00:12:22.200] for this area that I am super proud about is championing to get the Erskineville
[00:12:22.200 --> 00:12:25.200] Oval Grandstand named in honour of Johnny Lewis which I think is a very
[00:12:25.200 --> 00:12:30.480] fitting tribute to him. In terms of housing affordability, now housing
[00:12:30.480 --> 00:12:34.820] affordability is the number one issue facing Australians right now. This is
[00:12:34.820 --> 00:12:39.320] keenly felt in the city of Sydney with its young population. My own rent has
[00:12:39.320 --> 00:12:44.800] gone up nearly 40% in two years. I can't afford to buy a house let alone a small
[00:12:44.800 --> 00:12:49.600] unit in Sydney. We need to do more to increase the supply of housing, there's
[00:12:49.600 --> 00:12:53.480] no doubt about that and I am fully committed to the city's policy relating
[00:12:53.480 --> 00:12:58.520] to social and affordable housing. We have nearly 5,000 dwellings built or in the
[00:12:58.520 --> 00:13:03.960] pipeline in the city and that's a fantastic outcome. And this isn't the
[00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:08.120] case for other council areas if we just look over the boundary. We've got
[00:13:08.120 --> 00:13:12.640] the model right here and it should be replicated across the state. It's
[00:13:12.640 --> 00:13:16.840] great to see Waterloo South finally going ahead after 15 years. I
[00:13:16.840 --> 00:13:20.920] recently caught up with the first female Lord Mayor of Sydney Lucy Turnbull. While
[00:13:20.920 --> 00:13:25.680] she's thrilled that it's going ahead, she's also expressed a disappointment
[00:13:25.680 --> 00:13:31.400] that it has taken so long. It was used as a political
[00:13:31.400 --> 00:13:36.160] football for far too long. Now in terms of development, I am also fully
[00:13:36.160 --> 00:13:40.400] supportive of the city's design excellence and development contribution
[00:13:40.400 --> 00:13:44.320] policies. These policies ensure that developers contribute to the local
[00:13:44.320 --> 00:13:49.200] community and design excellence leads to great outcomes. Just look at Green Square
[00:13:49.200 --> 00:13:52.980] and Zetland. These are fantastic new areas of Sydney with the sorts of
[00:13:52.980 --> 00:13:58.160] amenity people want and need from parks, playgrounds, barbecue areas, shopping
[00:13:58.160 --> 00:14:02.720] centres and schools which the city is also contributing to. And of course many
[00:14:02.720 --> 00:14:05.720] of you know I'm a big supporter of outdoor dining and I would like to see
[00:14:05.720 --> 00:14:09.240] alfresco dining added to the list of considerations when dealing with design
[00:14:09.240 --> 00:14:14.160] excellence. Some examples around Zetland for instance are 95% of the way there
[00:14:14.160 --> 00:14:19.020] but there is some tightening up we could do in terms of making sure that the
[00:14:19.020 --> 00:14:24.040] retail offerings and the retail spaces in those areas are more more people
[00:14:24.040 --> 00:14:28.880] friendly so that people can enjoy bars, cafes, restaurants on the streets which
[00:14:28.880 --> 00:14:33.000] is what they are there for, for people to enjoy. That's the city's sort of
[00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:37.720] Sydney I want. In terms of transport, pretty clear we have a current
[00:14:37.720 --> 00:14:44.800] administration that seems to squarely focus cyclists. Now I'm all for cycling
[00:14:44.800 --> 00:14:48.920] infrastructure. I cycle daily and I ride a motorcycle but the interests of
[00:14:48.920 --> 00:14:52.720] all road users and users of our public spaces need to be taken into
[00:14:52.720 --> 00:14:57.800] consideration. We only have to look at the disaster of the COVID era pop-up
[00:14:57.800 --> 00:15:03.200] cycleways. They're not fit for purpose and they need a lot of work to make them
[00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:07.680] right which I'm committed to doing. The Oxford Street cycleway is another big
[00:15:07.680 --> 00:15:13.000] issue. The current designs just aren't right. Locals have major concerns with
[00:15:13.000 --> 00:15:16.880] them which I share. If elected I'll work closely with Transport for New South
[00:15:16.880 --> 00:15:20.680] Wales to make sure that these pieces of infrastructure work for all of those who
[00:15:20.680 --> 00:15:26.320] use our streets, not just cyclists. Again it's been an honour and a privilege to
[00:15:26.320 --> 00:15:30.880] serve you for the last two years, sorry not four years, as your as your Lord Mayor
[00:15:30.880 --> 00:15:35.440] I will champion you and your voice with the energy and vision the city needs.
[00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:48.640] After 20 years it's clear the city needs new leadership. Thank you.
[00:15:48.640 --> 00:15:54.000] Our next speaker is Clover Moore. Clover is the first woman popularly elected as Lord
[00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:58.280] Mayor of Sydney. During her five terms as Lord Mayor the City of Sydney has
[00:15:58.280 --> 00:16:04.040] developed a long-term strategic plan, Sustainable Sydney 2030 to 2050, which
[00:16:04.040 --> 00:16:07.680] includes action on climate change, delivering award-winning community
[00:16:07.680 --> 00:16:11.740] facilities and affordable housing, protecting and creating open space,
[00:16:11.740 --> 00:16:16.640] promoting the cultural and creative life of the city, delivering transport
[00:16:16.640 --> 00:16:20.360] options and championing the needs of diverse and vulnerable communities.
[00:16:20.360 --> 00:16:38.480] Clover is committed to a vital and welcoming city for all. Please welcome Clover Moore.
[00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:43.920] Hello everyone, it's good to see you all here. It's nearly as popular as those
[00:16:43.920 --> 00:16:48.440] traffic meetings that we've all been to. I want to acknowledge the Gadigal and the
[00:16:48.440 --> 00:16:52.340] Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of our land and pay my respects to the
[00:16:52.340 --> 00:16:58.080] Elders both past and present. And acknowledge the other candidates who
[00:16:58.080 --> 00:17:03.200] are sitting behind me. You've identified three important issues and I'll start
[00:17:03.200 --> 00:17:07.600] with transport, finding a balance. I want to start by saying that action on
[00:17:07.600 --> 00:17:12.200] climate change is a top priority for the city and transport is the second
[00:17:12.200 --> 00:17:17.240] highest and fastest growing source of CO2, which pre-COVID generated 20% of
[00:17:17.240 --> 00:17:21.840] emissions. Our commitment to light rail, to cycle ways and creating a city for
[00:17:21.840 --> 00:17:26.520] walking reduces emissions, provides clean and efficient alternatives to driving
[00:17:26.520 --> 00:17:33.920] and improves productivity and people's health. And communities have told us that
[00:17:33.920 --> 00:17:37.520] they want a city that is safe for walking and cycling, with better public
[00:17:37.520 --> 00:17:42.920] transport. A city for people rather than cars. We are spending 28 million dollars
[00:17:42.920 --> 00:17:48.000] a year on walking related improvements, especially as 93% of all trips involve
[00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:53.080] walking. If a car hits a pedestrian at 50 kilometres an hour there is just a 10%
[00:17:53.080 --> 00:17:58.000] chance of survival. That chance goes up to 60% of the cars travelling at 40
[00:17:58.000 --> 00:18:01.960] kilometres an hour and goes up to 90% if the car is travelling at 30
[00:18:01.960 --> 00:18:07.720] kilometres an hour. And the good news is that 75% of city controlled streets now
[00:18:07.720 --> 00:18:11.840] have speed limits of 40 kilometres and soon they will include all city
[00:18:11.840 --> 00:18:17.200] controlled streets. We're also advocating to government for 30 kilometre an hour
[00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:23.200] in our village centres and in the CBD. When I became Lord Mayor the city had no
[00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:27.840] separated cycleways. Now we have 25 kilometres of safe separated cycleways
[00:18:27.840 --> 00:18:32.960] and more than 10,000 people safely ride to work in the city centre each day, the
[00:18:32.960 --> 00:18:39.680] equivalent of 10 full trains and 166 full buses. 70% of Sydney-siders
[00:18:39.680 --> 00:18:42.860] told us that they would feel safer riding if there were more separated
[00:18:42.860 --> 00:18:48.360] cycleways. But not everyone can ride or walk so enabling people to ride and walk
[00:18:48.360 --> 00:18:52.340] and use public transport frees up congested roads for people who need to
[00:18:52.340 --> 00:18:57.040] drive, that is our trades people and people with a disability. And cost of
[00:18:57.040 --> 00:19:00.740] living is a great challenge and cycling isn't affordable for those that can
[00:19:00.740 --> 00:19:05.320] cycle. And to mitigate the impacts from WestConnex in Alexandria and Erskineville
[00:19:05.320 --> 00:19:09.440] the city has committed to 6.5 million dollars for 17 traffic management
[00:19:09.440 --> 00:19:14.740] treatments over the next term following our consultations with you. And recently
[00:19:14.740 --> 00:19:18.760] we opened stage one of the Green Square to Ashmore connector. I'm very excited
[00:19:18.760 --> 00:19:22.680] about this, it's a cycling, walking and public transport street that will enable
[00:19:22.680 --> 00:19:26.880] the people from Ashmore and Erskineville to easily get to community facilities in
[00:19:26.880 --> 00:19:30.880] Green Square and Green Square residents to easily get to beautiful Sydney Park.
[00:19:30.880 --> 00:19:36.160] We'll be doing in stage two at the beginning of next year. I'll continue to
[00:19:36.160 --> 00:19:38.720] call on the government to build the active transport bridge between North
[00:19:38.720 --> 00:19:45.120] and South Everleigh which is long overdue. So turning to development. Since 2004 the
[00:19:45.120 --> 00:19:47.840] city has received developer contributions and we have negotiated
[00:19:47.840 --> 00:19:51.960] planning agreements that have resulted in affordable housing, high quality
[00:19:51.960 --> 00:19:57.240] infrastructure, open space and excellent community facilities. Green Square is a
[00:19:57.240 --> 00:20:00.080] good example with its award-winning facilities like the library in the
[00:20:00.080 --> 00:20:04.360] Aquatic Centre. In 2006 the state government gave the city the
[00:20:04.360 --> 00:20:08.640] responsibility of converting Green Square from a polluted contaminated
[00:20:08.640 --> 00:20:13.120] former industrial area into a residential area for 60,000 residents
[00:20:13.120 --> 00:20:18.840] and 22,000 workers. So far 33,000 people have moved in and the city is delivering
[00:20:18.840 --> 00:20:24.020] well-designed walkable streets, separated cycleways, community facilities and open
[00:20:24.020 --> 00:20:31.120] space. So thirdly, housing affordability. Housing is a basic human right and the
[00:20:31.120 --> 00:20:34.400] lack of affordable housing is one of the biggest social and economic challenges
[00:20:34.400 --> 00:20:39.080] that we have. Even though housing is primarily a state responsibility, the
[00:20:39.080 --> 00:20:44.640] city uses every lever it has and we are on track to deliver more than 5,273
[00:20:44.640 --> 00:20:48.440] new affordable rental homes to be built and managed by community housing
[00:20:48.440 --> 00:20:54.320] providers in perpetuity by 2036. Already we've contributed 3,323
[00:20:54.320 --> 00:20:58.600] affordable homes either built in the pipeline or expected which is more than
[00:20:58.600 --> 00:21:02.720] any other council in Australia. We do this through collecting levies from
[00:21:02.720 --> 00:21:06.600] developers, from selling property at a discount to community housing providers
[00:21:06.600 --> 00:21:10.880] and providing grants from our affordable and diverse housing fund and negotiating
[00:21:10.880 --> 00:21:15.800] planning agreements with developers. For example, we provided a discounted
[00:21:15.800 --> 00:21:19.720] land, a former council depot, to St George Community Housing for the Gibbon
[00:21:19.720 --> 00:21:25.480] Street development in Redfern which has 162 social affordable units with 45%
[00:21:25.480 --> 00:21:29.960] and 45% of our First Nations people. At the proposed
[00:21:29.960 --> 00:21:33.400] Woolworths site on Bourke Street, Waterloo, we negotiated additional levies
[00:21:33.400 --> 00:21:36.680] through a planning agreement for affordable housing that will be built on
[00:21:36.680 --> 00:21:40.720] site. While our grants have contributed to projects for people at risk of
[00:21:40.720 --> 00:21:47.040] homelessness, especially older women and youth at risk. An additional 381
[00:21:47.040 --> 00:21:50.940] affordable homes will be built on Botany Road with funds from our levies as well
[00:21:50.940 --> 00:21:54.240] as discounted land sales. I've just chosen the sites that are particularly in your
[00:21:54.240 --> 00:21:59.040] area to talk about as a shortness of time. At the Waterloo South
[00:21:59.040 --> 00:22:02.080] Government housing redevelopment, we successfully lobbied the
[00:22:02.080 --> 00:22:07.960] government for 50% social and affordable housing with a minimum of 15% for First
[00:22:07.960 --> 00:22:13.080] Nations peoples, instead of the former coalition's disgraceful 70/30 mix
[00:22:13.080 --> 00:22:17.440] that was 70% private housing and 30% social housing, which was a
[00:22:17.440 --> 00:22:22.440] scandal really, as it was a public housing estate and it was public land. So
[00:22:22.440 --> 00:22:27.680] to conclude, I'm proud of what we have achieved. Stability and continuity are
[00:22:27.680 --> 00:22:32.680] critical. At the city we plan beyond the four-year election cycle,
[00:22:32.680 --> 00:22:37.600] something I wish governments did. We have a sustainable Sydney 2030 to 2050 plan
[00:22:37.600 --> 00:22:41.800] that we work to. I have a strong team of candidates, many of whom are here tonight,
[00:22:41.800 --> 00:22:46.080] with experience and energy and a $2.4 billion program of new projects,
[00:22:46.080 --> 00:22:50.080] facilities and asset renewals for the next term, as well as our affordable housing
[00:22:50.080 --> 00:22:53.480] program, action on climate change, our greening program and supporting a
[00:22:53.480 --> 00:22:56.860] cultured life in our city. Thank you.
[00:22:56.860 --> 00:23:06.400] Our next candidate to speak is Sue Ritchie. Sue has a long IT background working at
[00:23:06.400 --> 00:23:11.660] Qantas, specialising in complex problems, strategic planning, integration of
[00:23:11.660 --> 00:23:16.240] diverse business units, interests and change management. She and her family own
[00:23:16.240 --> 00:23:20.980] and operate Beecham Hotel on Oxford Street and has been a resident business
[00:23:20.980 --> 00:23:25.300] and property owner in Darlinghurst, Paddington and Woollahra for over 35
[00:23:25.300 --> 00:23:30.180] years. She is a local community leader and activist, being the founder of the
[00:23:30.180 --> 00:23:34.240] Three Saints Square project, which focuses on the central part of Oxford
[00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:38.600] Street, between two of the best art schools in the country. Please welcome
[00:23:38.600 --> 00:23:41.200] Sue Ritchie.
[00:23:41.200 --> 00:23:48.920] Hello everybody. I'd like to show my respect to the traditional owners, the
[00:23:48.920 --> 00:23:53.440] Gadigal people of the Ekeanoran Nation and also my respect to the other
[00:23:53.440 --> 00:23:59.000] candidates. To answer the three questions, firstly in regards to transport and the
[00:23:59.000 --> 00:24:04.440] balance between pedestrians, cyclists, cars etc, my core message is the
[00:24:04.440 --> 00:24:09.200] Council's currently not getting that balance right. If it was getting it right
[00:24:09.200 --> 00:24:13.760] and if it was listening to the constituents, I wouldn't be here because
[00:24:13.760 --> 00:24:20.120] my community is challenged with the Oxford Street East cycleway and I
[00:24:20.120 --> 00:24:25.680] want to point out that the community supports increasing cyclist safety and
[00:24:25.680 --> 00:24:32.360] supports providing the missing link, so to speak, in the cycleway network between
[00:24:32.360 --> 00:24:38.700] Bondo Junction and the city. So that's not the issue. A separated cycleway is
[00:24:38.700 --> 00:24:47.760] required. The issue is whether that cycleway should be on the existing site
[00:24:47.760 --> 00:24:53.720] of the temporary cycleway on Moor Park Road or whether it should be ripped up
[00:24:53.720 --> 00:24:59.800] and moved on to Oxford Street where it's going to have catastrophic effects for
[00:24:59.800 --> 00:25:05.800] businesses and residents and there hasn't been any consultation on this
[00:25:05.800 --> 00:25:12.840] question. It's an ill-conceived concept to force it on to Oxford Street. The
[00:25:12.840 --> 00:25:18.840] implications alone of closing five right-hand turns is significant and the
[00:25:18.840 --> 00:25:25.560] majority of the constituents on Oxford Street and in the surrounding areas are
[00:25:25.560 --> 00:25:30.600] not being listened to. The Council's been listening to residents on Moor Park
[00:25:30.600 --> 00:25:34.520] Road which is fair enough because they've had that temporary cycleway
[00:25:34.520 --> 00:25:40.280] inflicted on them and the Council's been listening to the state government and
[00:25:40.280 --> 00:25:45.760] interest, you know, the cyclist interest groups but the point is the
[00:25:45.760 --> 00:25:50.160] balance isn't right and if the balance was right I wouldn't be up here
[00:25:50.160 --> 00:25:56.360] representing my community. So the Council needs to listen to the constituents and
[00:25:56.360 --> 00:26:02.760] we need to get the balance right and, you know, while this is an Oxford
[00:26:02.760 --> 00:26:07.640] Street issue, if it can happen on Oxford Street it can happen in your area too.
[00:26:07.640 --> 00:26:13.200] Now the next point is about housing affordability and my key message here is
[00:26:13.200 --> 00:26:17.760] there is more that Council can be doing. Property developers have a
[00:26:17.760 --> 00:26:26.200] choice as to whether they want to allocate housing, affordable housing in
[00:26:26.200 --> 00:26:31.720] their developments or contribute to a fund. The fund isn't working, there's not
[00:26:31.720 --> 00:26:37.720] enough money in the fund to meet the demand and it means that the development
[00:26:37.720 --> 00:26:42.600] of the affordable housing is delayed because the property developer offloads
[00:26:42.600 --> 00:26:48.600] that responsibility on to Council and Council's housing suppliers. So what
[00:26:48.600 --> 00:26:53.920] needs to happen is that the property developers need to be forced to
[00:26:53.920 --> 00:26:58.680] include the affordable housing in their development and that way it's delivered
[00:26:58.680 --> 00:27:08.120] in a timely way and creates diversity. In regards to the fund and the money that
[00:27:08.120 --> 00:27:14.280] is given to the three main housing providers, there needs to be more
[00:27:14.280 --> 00:27:20.080] direction from Council as to what they invest in because at the moment it's
[00:27:20.080 --> 00:27:25.680] being invested in new stock and particularly apartments where it needs
[00:27:25.680 --> 00:27:31.680] to have more direction in terms of investing in existing stock, for
[00:27:31.680 --> 00:27:38.800] example boarding houses and Council needs to be investing directly into
[00:27:38.800 --> 00:27:43.600] properties like boarding houses in the short term. It's all very well to say
[00:27:43.600 --> 00:27:48.900] that it's a state environmental planning policy issue and it's you know it's up
[00:27:48.900 --> 00:27:55.000] to the state and the federal government but by the time that comes in a supply
[00:27:55.000 --> 00:28:00.120] comes through in that regard the problem will have been increased. Our community
[00:28:00.120 --> 00:28:07.440] is trying to protect our boarding house dwellers and for example there are 32
[00:28:07.440 --> 00:28:11.320] living in one of the properties at the moment that is being proposed to turn
[00:28:11.320 --> 00:28:17.080] into four houses which would accommodate eight people so if that goes ahead, that
[00:28:17.080 --> 00:28:23.040] approval goes ahead, we'll have 24 more homeless people to add to the problem. So
[00:28:23.040 --> 00:28:30.880] there is the opportunity for Council to directly invest and they
[00:28:30.880 --> 00:28:38.200] should. Okay and the last thing I want to talk about is developers delivering
[00:28:38.200 --> 00:28:43.880] community benefits like parks and open spaces and I certainly don't agree with
[00:28:43.880 --> 00:28:51.240] Moor Park golf course having half of the course repurposed for public space
[00:28:51.240 --> 00:28:56.880] because it's all public space anyway but just to take a slightly different tack I
[00:28:56.880 --> 00:29:02.960] also think there needs to be accountability with developers delivering
[00:29:02.960 --> 00:29:07.160] what they promise to deliver. We have recently lost in our area Verona
[00:29:07.160 --> 00:29:12.800] cinemas. The property developers were supposed to provide a cinema. What they
[00:29:12.800 --> 00:29:17.960] proposed wasn't commercially viable for the operator so a DA has been approved
[00:29:17.960 --> 00:29:22.200] and the development is going ahead but we've lost the cinema so that's an
[00:29:22.200 --> 00:29:28.600] amenity that shouldn't have been lost. So I believe I've got good ideas. My good
[00:29:28.600 --> 00:29:33.080] ideas come from listening to my community. I'm honest, community minded
[00:29:33.080 --> 00:29:38.360] and completely independent so please vote for me.
[00:29:38.360 --> 00:29:47.680] Our next speaker is Sam Danieli. Sam is a chartered accountant and principal of
[00:29:47.680 --> 00:29:52.560] his own firm in the CBD. He's a former mayor of Warringah Council and will
[00:29:52.560 --> 00:29:57.120] bring extensive political and business experience to the council. He believes
[00:29:57.120 --> 00:30:01.080] the current administration has been in for too long and that it is time for
[00:30:01.080 --> 00:30:06.000] change in order to make our city the best in the world. With 40 plus years in
[00:30:06.000 --> 00:30:10.560] business and eight years in one of the largest councils in New South Wales Sam
[00:30:10.560 --> 00:30:14.560] is ready to hit the ground running and make Sydney a city that is safe, clean
[00:30:14.560 --> 00:30:21.000] and very welcoming to come to work, live and play. Please welcome Sam.
[00:30:21.000 --> 00:30:30.720] Good evening everyone. I too would like to acknowledge the Garigal people,
[00:30:30.720 --> 00:30:37.880] Elders past and present, of course the other candidates. As I look around the
[00:30:37.880 --> 00:30:44.160] room here tonight I see ratepayers that have paid hard-earned monies to council
[00:30:44.160 --> 00:30:53.240] I see residents of the city of Sydney, people who rent. You know I see business
[00:30:53.240 --> 00:31:03.440] owners and I see people who visit the city of Sydney and so I want to become
[00:31:03.440 --> 00:31:11.200] mayor simply to make your lives better and look it's not a question about
[00:31:11.200 --> 00:31:16.200] whether someone's done a good job or not up until now but really after 20 years
[00:31:16.200 --> 00:31:22.440] it is time for change and unless we have change then a lot of the issues that
[00:31:22.440 --> 00:31:28.200] have been talked about tonight nothing will change. The only way that that these
[00:31:28.200 --> 00:31:35.280] new issues that are raised is to have change at the top. So that's where we
[00:31:35.280 --> 00:31:42.920] come from. We want to create a very clean and safe city that's what my team is all
[00:31:42.920 --> 00:31:49.800] about and so that's what we are campaigning for. Look on the issue of
[00:31:49.800 --> 00:31:58.800] transport here, finding a balance, look we are saying that after all this time
[00:31:58.800 --> 00:32:05.040] after 20 years with bike paths, cycle ways there needs to be a review and an
[00:32:05.040 --> 00:32:10.520] audit and again if we don't have change at the top that is not going to happen.
[00:32:10.520 --> 00:32:14.760] We'll just continue with what's been happening whereas the change will ensure
[00:32:14.760 --> 00:32:19.400] that there's a review, there's an audit. Certainly if I become mayor some of these
[00:32:19.400 --> 00:32:26.000] bike lanes, some of them will have to go. For example in the city of
[00:32:26.000 --> 00:32:31.920] Sydney, I mean Pitt Street now has become a parking lot really and so that's
[00:32:31.920 --> 00:32:38.080] probably one of the first ones to go. However look we're not saying no bike
[00:32:38.080 --> 00:32:47.200] lanes but certainly we need a review and a balance between the bike lanes,
[00:32:47.200 --> 00:32:59.400] pedestrians and vehicles. Look on the issue of development, certainly we
[00:32:59.400 --> 00:33:02.800] don't want development of Moor Park. Now those of you who know anything about
[00:33:02.800 --> 00:33:08.040] golf know that when you turn an 18 hole golf course into a 9 hole golf course it
[00:33:08.040 --> 00:33:14.040] becomes a go track. Now Moor Park for example, that's the cash cow for
[00:33:14.040 --> 00:33:19.680] Centennial Park Lands Trust and if you turn that golf course from an 18 to 9
[00:33:19.680 --> 00:33:24.560] the money will dry up, people will not go there. So you talk about development we
[00:33:24.560 --> 00:33:29.360] definitely don't want you know development of Moor Park, we want to save
[00:33:29.360 --> 00:33:35.840] Moor Park because it is a very precious asset and it's got a large catchment. We
[00:33:35.840 --> 00:33:42.520] talk about parks, now look with parks if I'm elected mayor I can tell you that
[00:33:42.520 --> 00:33:48.760] I'll be searching those hollow logs of council that they term them
[00:33:48.760 --> 00:33:53.200] restricted assets. Well there's lots of money there that can be accessed in
[00:33:53.200 --> 00:33:58.440] order to clean up the parks. If you had a look at my campaign so far we're on
[00:33:58.440 --> 00:34:03.040] about getting rid of the rats, yes there is a rat park in the City of Sydney, we
[00:34:03.040 --> 00:34:06.800] are infested with rats, just go around the corner from my office in the park
[00:34:06.800 --> 00:34:12.800] there at night I mean you can hear them. The park is in fact it's embarrassing,
[00:34:12.800 --> 00:34:17.240] it's a jungle, all this ground cover it needs all to be cleaned up. Now that can
[00:34:17.240 --> 00:34:23.880] be cleaned up with you know it can be cleaned up with those funds, there is
[00:34:23.880 --> 00:34:31.280] money there to be spent to be cleaned up. Now on the question of affordability as
[00:34:31.280 --> 00:34:36.560] I said from the start, look there's ratepayers here, residents, people who
[00:34:36.560 --> 00:34:43.840] rent and business owners and we have a cost of living crisis. Well council can
[00:34:43.840 --> 00:34:49.060] assist with this council of living crisis by having a rate freeze and if
[00:34:49.060 --> 00:34:54.120] I'm elected mayor with my team we will have a rate freeze in the first year of
[00:34:54.120 --> 00:34:59.240] council. Now the rate freeze will help ratepayers, will help residents, people
[00:34:59.240 --> 00:35:05.320] that rent and will help business owners. Now council can afford it just like the
[00:35:05.320 --> 00:35:11.360] federal government can afford to give tax cuts, well so can council afford to
[00:35:11.360 --> 00:35:17.480] to not increase rates. We've had increases of 2.4% over many years, last
[00:35:17.480 --> 00:35:24.520] year 5.1%, we can afford a rate freeze and if I'm elected mayor we're going to
[00:35:24.520 --> 00:35:30.880] have a rate freeze. Also now on this question of housing affordability look I
[00:35:30.880 --> 00:35:36.440] think we've forgotten that one of the major functions of council is town
[00:35:36.440 --> 00:35:43.160] planning you know we and certainly the current you know council and the
[00:35:43.160 --> 00:35:47.360] incumbent mayor they've got in broad in so many issues that they have forgotten
[00:35:47.360 --> 00:35:52.680] about some of the basic functions about councils and that is town planning and
[00:35:52.680 --> 00:35:57.320] and parks and rubbish and all these things because you can only stretch
[00:35:57.320 --> 00:36:02.640] your hard-earned ratepayer dollar so far. Now town planning is a major function of
[00:36:02.640 --> 00:36:07.760] council and and with the house affordability and public housing what
[00:36:07.760 --> 00:36:12.320] needs to happen there is that and if I'm elected mayor in council now this is
[00:36:12.320 --> 00:36:15.900] such an important issue housing affordability public has is such an
[00:36:15.900 --> 00:36:20.560] important issue that we need a separate section in council in town planning to
[00:36:20.560 --> 00:36:24.520] deal with that that is that is the only way just like in federal and state
[00:36:24.520 --> 00:36:27.880] government where something is so important there's a special ministry
[00:36:27.880 --> 00:36:33.080] established. We need a special town planning section in council to deal with
[00:36:33.080 --> 00:36:36.920] the housing affordability issue.
[00:36:36.920 --> 00:36:49.200] Our next speaker is Zann Maxwell. Zann has been a Sydney resident for nearly 10
[00:36:49.200 --> 00:36:53.280] years and has two degrees in communications and law. He lived in
[00:36:53.280 --> 00:36:56.880] public housing was raised by a single mother who taught him the importance of
[00:36:56.880 --> 00:37:01.800] resilience compassion and education. He has worked in the national policy
[00:37:01.800 --> 00:37:06.960] advocacy including climate change vaping regulation and currently disability
[00:37:06.960 --> 00:37:11.520] support through tech platforms. He has been an advisor to the Prime Minister
[00:37:11.520 --> 00:37:16.720] Anthony Albanese and now seeks to bring his commitment to social and economic
[00:37:16.720 --> 00:37:23.040] fairness to public life as a Labor representative. Please welcome Zann.
[00:37:23.040 --> 00:37:39.880] Thank you so much. Hello everyone I'm Zann Maxwell. I want to start by
[00:37:39.880 --> 00:37:47.160] acknowledging the Gadigal as well and any elders that with us tonight. Their
[00:37:47.160 --> 00:37:53.760] land was taken without consultation or compensation and the effects of that
[00:37:53.760 --> 00:37:58.600] dispossession continue to be felt today and we must never forget that. I want to
[00:37:58.600 --> 00:38:03.200] acknowledge the other candidates here tonight in particular the Lord Mayor and
[00:38:03.200 --> 00:38:08.480] also Deborah, Geoff and Vanessa and the other organizers of the event tonight
[00:38:08.480 --> 00:38:14.560] and the volunteers. Thank you so much for the work that you do. I look I look
[00:38:14.560 --> 00:38:21.960] forward to working with you on council in the next term all going well. So I'm
[00:38:21.960 --> 00:38:30.720] Zann. I'm 35. I'm a renter and I love this city. I love Sydney. I think Sydney has
[00:38:30.720 --> 00:38:35.400] everything that it needs to be one of the great cities of the world but I
[00:38:35.400 --> 00:38:41.720] think it is in danger of losing that potential. If you have walked down Oxford
[00:38:41.720 --> 00:38:48.640] Street recently or you've tried to get a meal after nine o'clock or perhaps a
[00:38:48.640 --> 00:38:54.560] beer on the footpath after eight o'clock perhaps at the old Fitz or you've tried
[00:38:54.560 --> 00:39:02.280] to get your bins picked up on time we know that Sydney is facing decline. We
[00:39:02.280 --> 00:39:07.640] need a city that actually is great not one that just looks great and for me the
[00:39:07.640 --> 00:39:14.560] most important part of that is fairness. Greatness starts with fairness. 20 years
[00:39:14.560 --> 00:39:20.360] ago when the Lord Mayor first took office a good job and hard work was
[00:39:20.360 --> 00:39:25.160] enough for a young person to make a prosperous life in the city. That's no
[00:39:25.160 --> 00:39:30.600] longer possible. Now you need a lottery ticket as well. That's why 7,000 young
[00:39:30.600 --> 00:39:35.760] people left the city last year. I know plenty of them myself. I've lost good
[00:39:35.760 --> 00:39:42.360] friends to Newcastle or Canberra or Melbourne. It's a bit depressing. These
[00:39:42.360 --> 00:39:50.040] people, about half the city are renters under 40. These are people that have done
[00:39:50.040 --> 00:39:54.040] everything right. They've held up their end of the bargain. They went to uni.
[00:39:54.040 --> 00:39:57.760] They've got a good job but that's not enough in Sydney anymore. They need a
[00:39:57.760 --> 00:40:02.640] better deal. They're currently locked out. Housing is at the centre of the
[00:40:02.640 --> 00:40:09.920] affordability crisis and I know that what Council does is one part of a very
[00:40:09.920 --> 00:40:15.240] big picture on housing and affordability but Council can do more. We can go
[00:40:15.240 --> 00:40:22.240] further with the tools that Council currently uses but that's
[00:40:22.240 --> 00:40:29.040] clearly not enough because the Council has a target that they've set themselves
[00:40:29.040 --> 00:40:37.960] out to 2036 of having 7.5% affordable housing. If you take into
[00:40:37.960 --> 00:40:41.200] account everything that has been built towards that goal, everything that has
[00:40:41.200 --> 00:40:46.000] been approved but yet to be built and everything that is projected, their own
[00:40:46.000 --> 00:40:53.160] reports show that they're not even on track to meet a quarter of that. So we
[00:40:53.160 --> 00:40:59.320] need to show a little bit more imagination and urgency about this issue
[00:40:59.320 --> 00:41:05.800] and so there are things that we can do differently or new things that we can do
[00:41:05.800 --> 00:41:10.520] in addition to what we're currently doing. In particular, we can be leveraging the
[00:41:10.520 --> 00:41:14.400] almost three-quarters of a billion dollars that Council has sitting in the
[00:41:14.400 --> 00:41:20.840] bank to purchase properties off the private market and convert them into
[00:41:20.840 --> 00:41:29.120] affordable renters for key workers. That is one of our policies. We need more
[00:41:29.120 --> 00:41:35.400] urgency and imagination about this issue. The next thing that we can do to make
[00:41:35.400 --> 00:41:42.520] our city great is take our vibrancy and nightlife seriously as well. The Lord
[00:41:42.520 --> 00:41:46.280] Mayor's had years to take advantage of the vibrancy reforms that the state
[00:41:46.280 --> 00:41:52.520] government has introduced. The Labor-led Inner West Council has declared a
[00:41:52.520 --> 00:41:57.080] special entertainment precincts on Enmore Road. There was a trial. It was very
[00:41:57.080 --> 00:42:00.640] successful and they've made it permanent. There are still no special
[00:42:00.640 --> 00:42:05.040] entertainment precincts in Sydney. So as the Lord Mayor, I will declare five to
[00:42:05.040 --> 00:42:11.840] get our nightlife and vibrancy firing again. The next thing is the decline in
[00:42:11.840 --> 00:42:17.800] basic services. So we will focus on getting the basics right and that
[00:42:17.800 --> 00:42:23.920] starts with getting the bins picked up on time. I also want to acknowledge
[00:42:23.920 --> 00:42:28.600] Linda Scott who is in the audience, a current Labor councillor who is not
[00:42:28.600 --> 00:42:31.600] standing again. She was the only councillor that voted against the
[00:42:31.600 --> 00:42:39.900] privatisation in 2019. It's been a debacle. If you ask anyone what is
[00:42:39.900 --> 00:42:45.080] council's job, one of the top things that they will say immediately is pick up the
[00:42:45.080 --> 00:42:53.240] rubbish. If we can't get that right there is a big problem. So we will introduce an
[00:42:53.240 --> 00:42:57.960] insourcing framework like the ACT has that will look at all contracts as they
[00:42:57.960 --> 00:43:02.040] come up for renewal through the lens of whether it makes sense to bring them
[00:43:02.040 --> 00:43:09.720] back in-house. I look forward to seeing what that shows for
[00:43:09.720 --> 00:43:15.660] our garbage collection and in particular our aquatic centres, the
[00:43:15.660 --> 00:43:22.100] outsourcing of which has also been a disaster. So those are my three key
[00:43:22.100 --> 00:43:29.200] commitments in this election and I ask for your vote. Thank you.
[00:43:29.200 --> 00:43:39.120] Our next speaker is Sylvie Ellsmore. Sylvia is a councillor and former deputy mayor
[00:43:39.120 --> 00:43:43.440] of the City of Sydney Council. She is the founding chair of the City of Sydney's
[00:43:43.440 --> 00:43:48.960] Housing for All Working Group. Sylvia has worked as a native title lawyer, union
[00:43:48.960 --> 00:43:53.880] organiser and community organiser. Her other former roles include policy
[00:43:53.880 --> 00:43:58.360] coordinator at the Sydney Policy Lab, senior policy advisor for New South
[00:43:58.360 --> 00:44:03.320] Wales Justice, executive officer at the New South Wales Reconciliation Council
[00:44:03.320 --> 00:44:08.440] and researcher for the Environmental Defenders Office. She is a volunteer
[00:44:08.440 --> 00:44:15.800] karate teacher and the founding member of Red Watch and lives in Darlington with
[00:44:15.800 --> 00:44:21.240] her partner Ben and dogs Ziggy and Nugget. Welcome Sylvia.
[00:44:21.240 --> 00:44:29.200] I never know what kind of bio to provide when you get asked for these things. Good evening everyone, thank you
[00:44:29.200 --> 00:44:33.680] for your patience. I would also like to start by acknowledging that we, as the
[00:44:33.680 --> 00:44:37.400] others have, that we are meeting on Gadigal land. This always was and
[00:44:37.400 --> 00:44:40.680] always will be Aboriginal land. I'd like to acknowledge the Lord Mayor, fellow
[00:44:40.680 --> 00:44:46.440] councillors, fellow candidates, our fearless local Greens MP Jenny Leong and
[00:44:46.440 --> 00:44:50.800] Matthew Thompson who is running also on the Greens ticket for the City of Sydney.
[00:44:50.800 --> 00:44:54.600] So two of the key topics selected tonight are housing and
[00:44:54.600 --> 00:44:58.600] development. These are very important because they are where
[00:44:58.600 --> 00:45:02.880] council has strong powers and also because they are the two main drivers
[00:45:02.880 --> 00:45:08.040] that are driving growing inequality in our city. Sydney is now the second most
[00:45:08.040 --> 00:45:13.760] expensive city to live for housing after Hong Kong in the world and we've had 28
[00:45:13.760 --> 00:45:17.760] years of council affordable housing schemes yet today we have a lower
[00:45:17.760 --> 00:45:23.760] percentage of public housing than we had before and 1.19% of housing stock is
[00:45:23.760 --> 00:45:28.400] protected affordable housing. Unless we do things very differently it is not
[00:45:28.400 --> 00:45:33.640] projected to get better from here. As many of you know the main focus on my
[00:45:33.640 --> 00:45:37.200] work when I got elected to on this council has been an increasing council's
[00:45:37.200 --> 00:45:40.660] action on affordable housing and this term working together with a lot of
[00:45:40.660 --> 00:45:44.520] consensus there have been some really important gains. Council has extended its
[00:45:44.520 --> 00:45:48.600] affordable housing scheme that collects 1% or 3% across the whole of the
[00:45:48.600 --> 00:45:52.520] LGA. We collect the levies, we give it to a community housing provider, so we
[00:45:52.520 --> 00:45:56.280] support public housing tenants to protect their home. The funding for the
[00:45:56.280 --> 00:46:00.920] new affordable housing co-op for trans women in Darlinghurst which will be not
[00:46:00.920 --> 00:46:05.000] just an Australian first but the first co-op housing built in the inner city in
[00:46:05.000 --> 00:46:09.620] 30 years. Last month council also made available a council car park in Redfern
[00:46:09.620 --> 00:46:13.120] we can do an EOI which will become affordable aboriginal housing
[00:46:13.120 --> 00:46:17.080] aboriginal controlled aged care which is something that community has been
[00:46:17.080 --> 00:46:22.200] campaigning around here for for decades. It was one of the things on the list
[00:46:22.200 --> 00:46:26.080] that I'm very pleased that the new rules that I moved as the chair of the housing
[00:46:26.080 --> 00:46:29.720] for all working group are on exhibition at the moment to protect older homes
[00:46:29.720 --> 00:46:34.160] from being lost and gutted basically to create luxury development. We have
[00:46:34.160 --> 00:46:38.400] hundreds of homes that are at risk of being lost this way. If you're interested
[00:46:38.400 --> 00:46:41.720] in supporting submissions are open until Friday please come and talk to me
[00:46:41.720 --> 00:46:45.640] afterwards. We know that the property industry is organising to try and stop
[00:46:45.640 --> 00:46:50.280] these rules. We do need your support. There's already been a change from the
[00:46:50.280 --> 00:46:53.600] state government that they've taken the power off council to decide whether
[00:46:53.600 --> 00:46:57.520] these rules are ultimately adopted so it is really important and we have your
[00:46:57.520 --> 00:47:01.240] support to try and get them through. There have been other important internal
[00:47:01.240 --> 00:47:04.480] reforms in the council this term around housing. The first affordable housing
[00:47:04.480 --> 00:47:10.520] group which I chair for example but as the biggest frustration the biggest
[00:47:10.520 --> 00:47:15.000] frustration I have had as a council on this council has been the refusal to
[00:47:15.000 --> 00:47:18.960] acknowledge that it is council's responsibility to do more on housing
[00:47:18.960 --> 00:47:23.360] with its planning powers and with its money. There are 10 priorities in
[00:47:23.360 --> 00:47:27.680] council's community strategic plan and vision. Housing for all is the smallest
[00:47:27.680 --> 00:47:32.920] and least funded. The city of Sydney not only has surpluses of 20 million or more
[00:47:32.920 --> 00:47:36.720] every year but as I mentioned there's a huge amount of money squirreled away in
[00:47:36.720 --> 00:47:41.760] the bank. I think it's 763 million at the latest count and most of that is
[00:47:41.760 --> 00:47:46.340] available for council to invest in the bank as it is now, in commercial
[00:47:46.340 --> 00:47:51.480] properties getting rent or in affordable rental housing. It was the last election
[00:47:51.480 --> 00:47:54.760] that the Greens put forward a costed plan that showed that council could
[00:47:54.760 --> 00:47:59.560] choose to directly invest in rent-capped housing. We showed that if council did
[00:47:59.560 --> 00:48:03.760] that with what was a smaller amount of money in the bank at that time we
[00:48:03.760 --> 00:48:07.840] council could have delivered more new affordable housing this term in one term
[00:48:07.840 --> 00:48:11.960] than it had the ten years before and improved council's bottom line.
[00:48:11.960 --> 00:48:16.080] Affordable rent-capped housing that makes a little bit of profit that can be
[00:48:16.080 --> 00:48:21.440] reinvested for more housing. Sadly this current council has repeatedly voted
[00:48:21.440 --> 00:48:25.800] down even getting advice on these options. I'm repeatedly told that it
[00:48:25.800 --> 00:48:29.640] is not council's job to buy or build public and affordable housing like it
[00:48:29.640 --> 00:48:34.120] used to even as our neighbouring councils with much less money find ways
[00:48:34.120 --> 00:48:40.880] to do it just like we did when I was elected on Marrickville Council. Council
[00:48:40.880 --> 00:48:43.840] collects around 40 million dollars in developed contributions for affordable
[00:48:43.840 --> 00:48:47.600] housing each year 40 million dollars and when you add that up over 28 years that
[00:48:47.600 --> 00:48:51.880] is a lot of money. Every one of those houses that council has delivered is so
[00:48:51.880 --> 00:48:57.000] important but that amount of money absolutely pales in comparison to the
[00:48:57.000 --> 00:49:01.160] scale of development that has taken place in the city over that time and the
[00:49:01.160 --> 00:49:05.840] scale of wealth that the council has created with our rezoning decisions. Let
[00:49:05.840 --> 00:49:09.360] me give you an example so not the most not Monday's meeting but the meeting
[00:49:09.360 --> 00:49:13.520] before we had another rezoning proposal before the council a series of sites in
[00:49:13.520 --> 00:49:16.880] the heart of the city rezoning to create which will be that what will be the
[00:49:16.880 --> 00:49:20.980] tallest towers in Sydney massive new luxury commercial development worth
[00:49:20.980 --> 00:49:26.480] between three and four billion dollars. I moved that council nudge the 1%
[00:49:26.480 --> 00:49:31.360] affordable housing contribution we were going to collect up to 2% and it was
[00:49:31.360 --> 00:49:36.440] voted down that we even get advice on this as an option. Rather than
[00:49:36.440 --> 00:49:41.400] congratulating itself on the success of what has been delivered so far we need
[00:49:41.400 --> 00:49:44.860] to acknowledge and the community expects us to acknowledge the scale of the
[00:49:44.860 --> 00:49:50.160] housing crisis that they are experiencing especially anyone under
[00:49:50.160 --> 00:49:55.680] the age of 30 and we need to step up. The standard we should prepare and compare
[00:49:55.680 --> 00:49:59.360] ourselves to as a council is that of cities like London or Paris where it's
[00:49:59.360 --> 00:50:04.560] 30 or 35% that is expected from private development. London not famously known
[00:50:04.560 --> 00:50:09.960] for its equality. 20 years ago their mayor set a target that 50% of all new
[00:50:09.960 --> 00:50:14.240] housing would be that was going to be built would be public and affordable and
[00:50:14.240 --> 00:50:18.240] by demanding more of developers and by councils building it themselves last
[00:50:18.240 --> 00:50:22.640] year they achieved 45%. Imagine what we could do if this council had that level
[00:50:22.640 --> 00:50:28.040] of ambition. Finally just briefly on transport which is the last one the
[00:50:28.040 --> 00:50:31.880] Greens are very proud of very proud champions of active transport. Lower
[00:50:31.880 --> 00:50:36.080] speed limits on our streets, wider footpaths, dramatically reducing
[00:50:36.080 --> 00:50:41.120] dependence on cars. You've been very patient, you don't need to hear any more from me.
[00:50:41.120 --> 00:50:52.120] Our next speaker is Rachel Evans. Rachel is a disability worker, housing activist,
[00:50:52.120 --> 00:50:56.600] journalist and community organiser. She has lived in a housing cooperative since
[00:50:56.600 --> 00:51:03.880] 2012 and is active in action for public housing. Rachel is a longtime LGBT IQ
[00:51:03.880 --> 00:51:08.120] activist and is campaigning against Israel's genocide on Palestine through
[00:51:08.120 --> 00:51:12.720] City of Sydney for Palestine. The group that led the successful ceasefire now
[00:51:12.720 --> 00:51:18.240] and disclosed to divest, boycott and sanction Israel. Motions through the City
[00:51:18.240 --> 00:51:22.280] of Sydney Council. Welcome Rachel.
[00:51:22.280 --> 00:51:28.600] Well hi everyone. Thank you to the residents, groups and volunteers who have
[00:51:28.600 --> 00:51:32.880] organised this forum. I'm recognising we're on the land of the Gadigal people
[00:51:32.880 --> 00:51:38.400] of the Eora Nation, always was, always will be Aboriginal land and I pay
[00:51:38.400 --> 00:51:43.280] respect to elders past and present. I also note the other candidates in the
[00:51:43.280 --> 00:51:48.240] room. Andrew Tudor as another Socialist Alliance candidate and other comrades
[00:51:48.240 --> 00:51:53.320] and campaigners in the room as well. As a socialist I pledge to actively support
[00:51:53.320 --> 00:51:58.640] decolonisation, hence we are calling on Council to remove Lord in the mayoral
[00:51:58.640 --> 00:52:04.360] title. It is a British colonial reference. We also want Council to collaborate with
[00:52:04.360 --> 00:52:08.920] families of Aboriginal men chased to death by police in Sydney. TJ Hickey,
[00:52:08.920 --> 00:52:13.680] Patrick Fisher and Jay Wright over establishing permanent memorials on
[00:52:13.680 --> 00:52:19.480] relevant sites devoted to their lives. Now Socialist Alliance is standing for
[00:52:19.480 --> 00:52:23.520] Council to win a city that puts people before profit and for a livable city
[00:52:23.520 --> 00:52:28.320] that delivers housing justice. Transport development and housing affordability are
[00:52:28.320 --> 00:52:32.640] key facets of a livable city and I thank the residents who have asked us to focus
[00:52:32.640 --> 00:52:39.040] on these. The City of Sydney is home to 231,000 people and has a beautiful
[00:52:39.040 --> 00:52:44.400] harbour but holds great wealth disparity. There are 400 people homeless every
[00:52:44.400 --> 00:52:48.840] night living on the streets while Elizabeth Bay and Paddington are home to
[00:52:48.840 --> 00:52:53.480] some of the most expensive dwellings in the country. Our Council is one of the
[00:52:53.480 --> 00:52:59.400] richest in the country with 763 million dollars in their accounts and could be a
[00:52:59.400 --> 00:53:05.160] climate, housing and social world leader. And these local elections are important
[00:53:05.160 --> 00:53:10.160] because we are at a crossroads. Will we continue business as usual or can we
[00:53:10.160 --> 00:53:14.660] reverse course and deliver an environmentally safe world free from
[00:53:14.660 --> 00:53:20.720] genocide and war with guaranteed housing for our next generation. So public
[00:53:20.720 --> 00:53:26.160] transport. Sydney could be a green transport city. Instead we are surrounded
[00:53:26.160 --> 00:53:30.800] and dominated by toll roads and cranky car drivers finding it hard to park.
[00:53:30.800 --> 00:53:35.840] These drivers are also stressed residents paying extraordinary housing
[00:53:35.840 --> 00:53:40.920] costs. Sydney is the second most expensive place to live in the world.
[00:53:40.920 --> 00:53:47.080] This is a city led by corporate logic so reorientating transport is critical
[00:53:47.080 --> 00:53:52.240] because to stop climate collapse we need to drastically reduce carbon
[00:53:52.240 --> 00:53:57.880] emissions and 1/4 25% of carbon is emitted by the private transport sector.
[00:53:57.880 --> 00:54:04.440] Former NASA climate scientist James Hansen said by mid this year the 1.5
[00:54:04.440 --> 00:54:10.400] degrees Celsius warming ceiling will be passed for all practicable purposes.
[00:54:10.400 --> 00:54:15.520] Beyond 1.5 degree warming it is likely that four major earth system elements
[00:54:15.520 --> 00:54:20.400] the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheet, the tropical coral reefs and the
[00:54:20.400 --> 00:54:25.000] boreal thermal frost will start collapsing even if we cut emissions
[00:54:25.000 --> 00:54:30.200] rapidly. So we have to do everything to put the brakes on carbon emission and
[00:54:30.200 --> 00:54:36.560] free mass clean fun social public transport must be part of that plan.
[00:54:36.560 --> 00:54:41.080] We want land West Connex stole from the community for an interconnected active
[00:54:41.080 --> 00:54:46.440] public transport system with bike paths and walkways electric buses trains trams
[00:54:46.440 --> 00:54:53.040] plus traffic calming and walkway bridges. Like in Mexico City and Paris Socialist
[00:54:53.040 --> 00:54:58.000] Alliance wants Sydney Council to provide a car-free day for the city once a week.
[00:54:58.000 --> 00:55:02.520] Friends on the question of development cities that run on capitalist logic
[00:55:02.520 --> 00:55:08.040] privatized spaces meaning people can't gather for free. Public spaces get
[00:55:08.040 --> 00:55:13.920] sidelined and services are privatized. Corporations don't deliver services for
[00:55:13.920 --> 00:55:18.360] the good of communities and environments they operate for profit. We join the
[00:55:18.360 --> 00:55:23.640] growing chorus demanding Council end outsourcing and bring services back in
[00:55:23.640 --> 00:55:28.480] house. Garbage collection, bike path building, light bulb changing for example.
[00:55:28.480 --> 00:55:34.640] Asbestos in our green spaces was a result of outsourcing. Moreover sways of
[00:55:34.640 --> 00:55:38.800] Sydney are in severe threat from rising sea levels. To combat the effects of
[00:55:38.800 --> 00:55:44.240] capitalist induced climate disasters we need urban plan sponge cities. Cities
[00:55:44.240 --> 00:55:49.840] that sink floodwaters through mangroves and waterways. Copenhagen, Auckland and
[00:55:49.840 --> 00:55:55.080] cities in China are creating these. On the question of housing all tiers of
[00:55:55.080 --> 00:56:00.160] government have commodified housing. Sydney rents went up by $193 per week
[00:56:00.160 --> 00:56:06.800] over the last two years. But in Sydney there is no scarcity of housing. 270
[00:56:06.800 --> 00:56:12.840] public housing dwellings and 3,400 private dwellings are empty every single
[00:56:12.840 --> 00:56:19.360] night. Finland has solved its homelessness crisis why can't we? Now
[00:56:19.360 --> 00:56:24.040] Council has a target of 15% public social and affordable housing by 2036
[00:56:24.040 --> 00:56:28.640] but all indications are they won't meet this. We're calling on Council to
[00:56:28.640 --> 00:56:31.920] increase the developer levy on commercial and residential developments
[00:56:31.920 --> 00:56:37.960] from 3 to 30% as many European cities have and buy dwellings for Council homes.
[00:56:37.960 --> 00:56:43.120] Four months ago they they did this with the Trans Housing Corp. They can expand
[00:56:43.120 --> 00:56:48.400] on it. They can buy Selwyn Street boarding homes and guarantee the 32
[00:56:48.400 --> 00:56:52.720] residents their homes and help save Waterloo and end the horror of
[00:56:52.720 --> 00:56:57.940] demolishing mass public housing in a housing crisis. Of course friends most in
[00:56:57.940 --> 00:57:02.120] the room will suggest this all sounds wonderful but to win what urban planners
[00:57:02.120 --> 00:57:06.820] call eco-socialist solar punk cities we have to take on the might of developers
[00:57:06.820 --> 00:57:12.400] and property investors and in Sydney we know how. Many successful campaigns like
[00:57:12.400 --> 00:57:17.160] train entrance expansions housing public housing building and green space
[00:57:17.160 --> 00:57:21.000] developments have been led by resident action groups and Jack Mundy's Green
[00:57:21.000 --> 00:57:26.680] Bans. Finally resident groups are powerful. Resident groups action for
[00:57:26.680 --> 00:57:31.880] public housing and tenants could unite to save Selwyn Street and Waterloo.
[00:57:31.880 --> 00:57:35.900] City of Sydney for Palestine campaigned successfully for all these motions on
[00:57:35.900 --> 00:57:46.840] Palestine and we can do it on Selwyn Street and Waterloo.
[00:57:46.840 --> 00:57:50.880] Thank you for your patience. We're now going to hear from our final speaker, Sean Masters.
[00:57:50.880 --> 00:57:55.800] Sean has lived and worked in Surrey Hills for over 25 years. He's been a
[00:57:55.800 --> 00:58:00.440] creative director in the advertising industry for over 20 years helping build
[00:58:00.440 --> 00:58:04.440] the world's biggest brands. Sean is running for council to shift away from
[00:58:04.440 --> 00:58:10.240] ideology and towards more practical politics that actually helps people. He
[00:58:10.240 --> 00:58:14.240] wants the best possible future for his young family and for the people of
[00:58:14.240 --> 00:58:27.680] Sydney. Please welcome Sean. Well you can all hear me doesn't Mike doesn't
[00:58:27.680 --> 00:58:41.880] need to go up I'll be I'll be quick as I can. Yeah look I am running for council
[00:58:41.880 --> 00:58:49.600] because I feel that ideology has infested this council and I feel that
[00:58:49.600 --> 00:58:57.240] ideology has no place in local council. I feel that council should be all about
[00:58:57.240 --> 00:59:06.520] the day-to-day immediate concerns of residents. As a libertarian I believe in
[00:59:06.520 --> 00:59:11.640] small government. I believe in less control of government. I believe in more
[00:59:11.640 --> 00:59:16.720] rights for individuals. I believe in more power for individuals. I believe in more
[00:59:16.720 --> 00:59:25.760] freedom for individuals. So given that we need council to focus on the day-to-day
[00:59:25.760 --> 00:59:30.120] concerns of residents let's talk about those concerns. The first one being
[00:59:30.120 --> 00:59:37.200] transport. Now obviously state government and local government need to work hand
[00:59:37.200 --> 00:59:44.920] in hand when it comes to suitable and appropriate public transport for
[00:59:44.920 --> 00:59:52.200] residents. But my biggest concern when it comes to transport and the shared bike
[00:59:52.200 --> 00:59:57.600] lanes pedestrians and cars public transport my biggest concern as opposed
[00:59:57.600 --> 01:00:05.160] to my my fellow candidate the previous speaker my concern is bike lanes as that
[01:00:05.160 --> 01:00:13.920] pertains to cars. Now for me and to some extent Sue without putting words in her
[01:00:13.920 --> 01:00:21.560] mouth I say I want to put a freeze on bike lanes I say no more bike lanes M
[01:00:21.560 --> 01:00:29.040] double O R E if you can commit the wordplay there clover. Now look it seems
[01:00:29.040 --> 01:00:33.680] to me that you know I'm sure there is an overarching plan but it feels to
[01:00:33.680 --> 01:00:39.520] residents that I've been speaking to that it's almost like there is no
[01:00:39.520 --> 01:00:43.600] holistic plan for bike lanes and it's almost like they decided by throwing a
[01:00:43.600 --> 01:00:50.560] dart at a map they lead to nowhere they they lead to congestion in many areas as
[01:00:50.560 --> 01:00:55.360] a previous speaker mentioned in the city and they lead to less parking for
[01:00:55.360 --> 01:01:01.280] residents. Now in our drive to net zero everyone seems to have forgotten that
[01:01:01.280 --> 01:01:06.160] people still drive cars. People need to get around people need to get to work
[01:01:06.160 --> 01:01:10.520] people need to pick up the kids and when they get home they need somewhere to
[01:01:10.520 --> 01:01:18.440] park. So I come down firmly when it comes to transport on the needs of motorists
[01:01:18.440 --> 01:01:24.600] and I accept that I am not amongst friends here but I do need to make my
[01:01:24.600 --> 01:01:32.720] make my point known. Please don't throw fruit or shoes or any other or any more
[01:01:32.720 --> 01:01:39.160] darts for that matter. Now the the second issue is development as it pertains to
[01:01:39.160 --> 01:01:46.600] green spaces. Now can I what I'd like to do is zero in on because we've heard it
[01:01:46.600 --> 01:01:51.380] from other about other developments I'd like to zero in on Explorer Street
[01:01:51.380 --> 01:01:57.700] Everly which is relatively close by. I was there the other day and I saw many
[01:01:57.700 --> 01:02:05.620] of these signs. Now as it relates no eviction of housing tenants now now to
[01:02:05.620 --> 01:02:12.280] stick to green spaces as it relates to development we need green spaces. You
[01:02:12.280 --> 01:02:17.520] know when you look at that Explorer Street the Rotary Park is nowhere near
[01:02:17.520 --> 01:02:21.320] big enough for the development that they're looking at there. It needs to be
[01:02:21.320 --> 01:02:26.440] completely relandscaped it undulates it's it's it's not flat enough for
[01:02:26.440 --> 01:02:32.320] picnics and and throwing frisbees and games of games of cricket. The beauty of
[01:02:32.320 --> 01:02:37.400] living in an urban environment is that you get to be close to people you know
[01:02:37.400 --> 01:02:40.960] neighbors and strangers quickly become friends but you need green spaces in
[01:02:40.960 --> 01:02:45.040] order to do that. So when you look at these developments the first one of the
[01:02:45.040 --> 01:02:49.200] first things we need to do is ensure there is enough green space as it
[01:02:49.200 --> 01:02:54.460] relates to that development. Now moving moving to affordable housing in general
[01:02:54.460 --> 01:03:00.680] and I will again zero in on on Explorer Street but I will say broadly speaking
[01:03:00.680 --> 01:03:09.700] as a Libertarian we believe in private ownership. We want people to be able to
[01:03:09.700 --> 01:03:17.280] have the dignity of owning their own property. So we advocate for people
[01:03:17.280 --> 01:03:21.700] owning their own property via extremely low repayment plans extremely low
[01:03:21.700 --> 01:03:26.080] interest rates that way they can have affordable housing in perpetuity and
[01:03:26.080 --> 01:03:32.680] there'd be no eviction of tenants. Now let's talk about the 13 stories at
[01:03:32.680 --> 01:03:38.000] Everly Street as it relates to parking. There is not going to be enough parking
[01:03:38.000 --> 01:03:47.300] in in that particular 13 story building. It will squeeze residents out of on
[01:03:47.300 --> 01:03:52.400] street parking if you're going to build up you need to build below. So I'd like
[01:03:52.400 --> 01:03:57.160] that to be a test case. Now the final point I'd like to make is a contentious
[01:03:57.160 --> 01:04:06.200] one but in every single one of the developments I've looked at 20% of all
[01:04:06.200 --> 01:04:12.280] housing by but necessarily goes to Aboriginal people. Now can I just say
[01:04:12.280 --> 01:04:16.980] that I have no doubt that there are proud Aboriginal women and men out there
[01:04:16.980 --> 01:04:22.280] and every time they read that 20% of social housing necessarily goes to
[01:04:22.280 --> 01:04:27.680] Aboriginal people surely a part of their soul gets torn out surely a part of their
[01:04:27.680 --> 01:04:35.360] dignity gets torn out. No no no no I I do not I do not feel that way I do not
[01:04:35.360 --> 01:04:39.560] feel that way and we can talk about that.
[01:04:39.560 --> 01:04:54.280] Okay so we're now going to have the open mic Q&A session. I'd ask that if people
[01:04:54.280 --> 01:04:59.280] have questions could they please line up over here. I will tell you that we will
[01:04:59.280 --> 01:05:04.200] only allow half an hour for this and so there are a couple of things that I want
[01:05:04.200 --> 01:05:12.800] you to take note of. One please ask a question no statements try to give no
[01:05:12.800 --> 01:05:16.520] context just ask the question if the candidates don't understand it we
[01:05:16.520 --> 01:05:22.120] shouldn't be voting for them so just ask questions. I'd also ask the candidates
[01:05:22.120 --> 01:05:27.640] keep their answers brief. We will be handing around this microphone and I do
[01:05:27.640 --> 01:05:32.160] ask that people respect the fact that not everyone has great hearing in this
[01:05:32.160 --> 01:05:36.880] room so please do wait for the microphone. Okay over to our first
[01:05:36.880 --> 01:05:50.720] questioner. This question is for our current Mayor, Clodagh Moore. I understand that you have boasted to another City of Sydney
[01:05:50.720 --> 01:05:58.040] councillor that you plan to die on the job. How can we trust you to continue to
[01:05:58.040 --> 01:06:05.160] run our city when you can't even organise a retirement plan for yourself?
[01:06:05.160 --> 01:06:12.980] Okay I think we're moving to the next question.
[01:06:12.980 --> 01:06:35.900] All track, the operators of the light rail in Sydney have proposed a new line from Green Square to Central and out to Tavernsville and Parramatta Road. I know that the City of Sydney councillor, Clodagh Moore, has supported this. I've read the newspapers. Do other councillors support this? Will they lobby the State Government to accept the proposal and implement it?
[01:06:35.900 --> 01:06:50.140] Do any of the candidates support that proposal? Perhaps I could have a show of hands.
[01:06:50.140 --> 01:06:52.140] We all voted for it when it came to council.
[01:06:52.140 --> 01:06:54.140] Thank you for the question.
[01:06:54.140 --> 01:06:56.140] Next please.
[01:06:56.140 --> 01:07:17.740] I have a question for Zach. We were talking about fairness and we read about the achievements of the present council that they cleaned the George Street in the city from the traffic, but they sent all the traffic along Raglan Street.
[01:07:17.740 --> 01:07:31.340] In Waterloo we have 200 buses per day to intercept students so they don't go to Central, don't clutter the city, but they will clutter us and people on Raglan Street cannot sleep at night, we're talking about basics.
[01:07:31.340 --> 01:07:56.540] Sleep is the basics, but we cannot sleep from 4am to 10pm or 12pm. And the green spaces are affected because the new park which is planned for the metro quarter next to it is affected by the buses and community gardens and the church and the heritage area.
[01:07:56.540 --> 01:08:13.740] So one area is cleaned up and all the problems are sent to us. So do you think it's fair and you can fix it?
[01:08:13.740 --> 01:08:19.740] I think the question was about bus services and are they too loud?
[01:08:19.740 --> 01:08:33.740] We have 200 per day. We never had any buses. They cleaned up the city, but they sent it all to us, 200 per day, in front of the people's terraces.
[01:08:33.740 --> 01:08:39.740] Oh I see, they redirected public transport routes close to where you live and the noise is...
[01:08:39.740 --> 01:08:41.740] Waterloo, Waterloo.
[01:08:41.740 --> 01:08:43.740] What was the reason for the rerouting?
[01:08:43.740 --> 01:08:53.740] They cleaned up the city, from my understanding the city was cleaned up from heavy traffic, but now we have to deal with it.
[01:08:53.740 --> 01:09:14.740] Well, I'm not sure how to respond to your particular issue, but what I would say is that it goes to I think the question that the whole panel of candidates was asked to answer about balancing the interests of different kinds of transport, whether it's cyclists, pedestrians, cars.
[01:09:14.740 --> 01:09:34.740] It's clear from your experience that the impact on residents should be taken into account as well and if routes are updated that impact particular streets more than they were, that's something that should be taken into account when these kinds of decisions are made.
[01:09:34.740 --> 01:09:45.740] But if you want to talk to me or perhaps Lorraine, under this eye for one will be available.
[01:09:45.740 --> 01:09:59.740] Hello. Light pollution is an insidious problem when unshielded and excessive lighting severely disrupts nocturnal wildlife, resulting in a decline in threatened species,
[01:09:59.740 --> 01:10:09.740] particularly insects and the pygmy possum and sea turtles that have had a drastic decline.
[01:10:09.740 --> 01:10:11.740] I can get in the hash of this.
[01:10:11.740 --> 01:10:17.740] We are also affected by the loss of dark skies and increase in global warming.
[01:10:17.740 --> 01:10:27.740] What would any of you do about this problem of light pollution if you were in government?
[01:10:27.740 --> 01:10:31.740] Anybody can answer.
[01:10:31.740 --> 01:10:37.740] Thank you. I'm happy to answer that one first because you've sent some great emails to the council about this.
[01:10:37.740 --> 01:10:51.740] As a Greens councillor I did move a motion that it was not successful recently around council revisiting the accumulation of billboards and the amount of light pollution because Melbourne's made a decision because of the number of bright billboards that it's going to consider turning some of them down.
[01:10:51.740 --> 01:10:54.740] It's got new rules on exhibition and a great study.
[01:10:54.740 --> 01:10:58.740] That was not successful. I hope it's something that the new council might consider.
[01:10:58.740 --> 01:11:06.740] And the separate issue around that is I would really love this council to start looking at how much we are commercialising our public spaces.
[01:11:06.740 --> 01:11:14.740] I think confusing vibrancy with meaning you have to advertise it everybody all the time that they have to buy things and pay for things is not the same.
[01:11:14.740 --> 01:11:17.740] And that's a real issue with how people are approaching it.
[01:11:17.740 --> 01:11:22.740] There are many cities around the world that have said we're going to get rid of the billboards and replace them with trees, for example.
[01:11:22.740 --> 01:11:28.740] We should do that.
[01:11:28.740 --> 01:11:37.740] We're looking at the issue of lighting in parks and in streets in terms of dulling them in the evenings so people can have sleep.
[01:11:37.740 --> 01:11:39.740] That's something that's happening at the moment.
[01:11:39.740 --> 01:11:46.740] And I think that no one would want to see the clipper cola sign go across.
[01:11:46.740 --> 01:11:48.740] Thank you.
[01:11:48.740 --> 01:11:51.740] I'd like to ask a question of the Lord Mayor.
[01:11:51.740 --> 01:12:01.740] Lord Mayor, you're perfectly aware that there's legislation designed to protect our public parks, very precious public parks,
[01:12:01.740 --> 01:12:10.740] from political interference of the sort that you and the Premier have cooked up with no warning whatsoever and no public discussion
[01:12:10.740 --> 01:12:20.740] to truncate half of a very important and very public and very popular golf course in Hawke Park.
[01:12:20.740 --> 01:12:29.740] And you also know that over the period of two years, between 2015 and 2017,
[01:12:29.740 --> 01:12:40.740] the public trust that has given legislative responsibility for the control and management and planning of our public parks
[01:12:40.740 --> 01:12:49.740] has developed a 25-year master plan to guide how these parks, including -
[01:12:49.740 --> 01:12:51.740] Can I ask what the question is, please, sir?
[01:12:51.740 --> 01:13:05.740] The question is, how do you justify coming up with what you have done when that trust itself has come up with a very well-thought-out public plan
[01:13:05.740 --> 01:13:08.740] which has been approved by the relevant Minister for Parks?
[01:13:08.740 --> 01:13:12.740] Can I cut it off there, please? Otherwise we'll never get there.
[01:13:12.740 --> 01:13:16.740] So, thank you for the question.
[01:13:16.740 --> 01:13:23.740] A proposal was put to Premier Mims to right the wrong that has occurred.
[01:13:23.740 --> 01:13:34.740] I mean, it was the Labor government that decided in 1995 that the former South Sydney industrial area would become the new urban renewal area of Green Square.
[01:13:34.740 --> 01:13:41.740] As I said before, to provide homes for 60,000 people and 20,000 workers.
[01:13:41.740 --> 01:13:49.740] And there was no public space proposed at that time for this.
[01:13:49.740 --> 01:13:56.740] Now we can see that there are going to be about 80,000 people living within a radius of Moore Park.
[01:13:56.740 --> 01:14:07.740] When Moore Park was created by a former city council and the clubhouse was built by the council, the surrounding area was industrial.
[01:14:07.740 --> 01:14:11.740] Now it's surrounded by the most dense housing in the country.
[01:14:11.740 --> 01:14:20.740] And the former Premier, Bob Carr, who was in fact the Premier when Green Square was announced, agreed that that was an omission.
[01:14:20.740 --> 01:14:26.740] He talked to Premier Mims and Premier Mims agreed that there had been an omission there.
[01:14:26.740 --> 01:14:36.740] Because the people living in that very high density look across Moore Park and they just see high fences and signs that say 'keep out'.
[01:14:36.740 --> 01:14:50.740] And so, as there are 13 other golf courses within 10 kilometres of Moore Park, and many of them public courses, it seems a very fair and equitable thing.
[01:14:50.740 --> 01:14:54.740] Rightly or wrongly so.
[01:14:54.740 --> 01:15:04.740] To make 20 hectares of Moore Park public parkland and there will still be 20 hectares of golf course.
[01:15:04.740 --> 01:15:08.740] And of course if you want to do anything around it, you can go around it twice.
[01:15:08.740 --> 01:15:10.740] I have answered your question.
[01:15:10.740 --> 01:15:21.740] My question is that there's a trust that's responsible for the planning and it came up with a two year plan for the whole of the park, not just the golf course.
[01:15:21.740 --> 01:15:26.740] I know it's really important to you but we have a lot of people here that have other questions.
[01:15:26.740 --> 01:15:31.740] Well I'm sorry if that's the way you feel.
[01:15:31.740 --> 01:15:47.740] The government has set up such a body and in fact I'm on the community board of that body and that body has unanimously supported the proposal that the 20 hectares become public parkland.
[01:15:47.740 --> 01:15:51.740] [applause]
[01:15:51.740 --> 01:15:57.740] Thank you for all your comments today and tonight and it's been very interesting.
[01:15:57.740 --> 01:16:06.740] My question is posed to the gentleman who referred to the rat play in the car park facility.
[01:16:06.740 --> 01:16:14.740] Also, where I live which is just over there in Waterloo, next to where the new railway is.
[01:16:14.740 --> 01:16:24.740] Because of the development and all that, the rats kind of had to shift quickly and that kind of avoided our area.
[01:16:24.740 --> 01:16:32.740] And then they went into south, south I believe, and people have been complaining, complaining, complaining.
[01:16:32.740 --> 01:16:50.740] My question is have you been in consultation with the Veterinary Association or something like that to try and cull the rat population using a kind of a birth pill strategy,
[01:16:50.740 --> 01:17:04.740] a strategy to stop them from reproducing because I think that would be a far less humane, far more humane thing than toxifying the land and toxifying stray cats.
[01:17:04.740 --> 01:17:09.740] Thank you, I think we're clear on what the question is.
[01:17:09.740 --> 01:17:19.740] Thank you for the question. I was in fact in consultation with Graeme Ross who is a horticulture expert and what he said to me on the weekend is in fact right.
[01:17:19.740 --> 01:17:30.740] That our public parks haven't been maintained properly and all this ground cover that you get in public parks, as he said,
[01:17:30.740 --> 01:17:36.740] like the one in Wynyard that I referred to before, we've got ivy as ground cover.
[01:17:36.740 --> 01:17:45.740] Now as he said, you get rid of the ivy, you get rid of most of the rats because what should happen in parks is rather than the ivy and all the ground cover,
[01:17:45.740 --> 01:17:49.740] you have mulch around the roots of the tree, you clean up the park.
[01:17:49.740 --> 01:17:50.740] Get rid of the trees.
[01:17:50.740 --> 01:18:02.740] No, you don't get rid of the trees. As he said, with mulch around the trunk, the tree is healthier rather than to have the ivy grow up the tree.
[01:18:02.740 --> 01:18:04.740] Unless it's full of asbestos.
[01:18:04.740 --> 01:18:08.740] Anyway, I think we've got it. Okay, thank you.
[01:18:08.740 --> 01:18:10.740] Next question please.
[01:18:10.740 --> 01:18:16.740] Hi everyone, my question is about boarding houses, Selwyn Street in particular, but all boarding houses.
[01:18:16.740 --> 01:18:25.740] Now if the development goes ahead at Selwyn Street or whatever you want to call it, there will be a 75% reduction in the amount of tenants there,
[01:18:25.740 --> 01:18:35.740] which I believe is different to the rules for other buildings, which I've been told from Council that is 15% reduction is the limit.
[01:18:35.740 --> 01:18:43.740] This makes boarding houses low hanging fruit, so if you can't just make a new rule to stop that quickly, why can't you just buy them?
[01:18:43.740 --> 01:18:54.740] And let the people who have affordable housing already keep their affordable housing.
[01:18:54.740 --> 01:19:02.740] The application came to the city, the city refused that application because it doesn't fit in with our policy of retaining affordable housing in the city.
[01:19:02.740 --> 01:19:10.740] We are now, the developer has appealed that refusal, it's been in court and it's going to come, the case will come back.
[01:19:10.740 --> 01:19:22.740] The city believes it has a very good case to fight in the court and we've talked to the residents of Selwyn Street who would like to support that case in the court.
[01:19:22.740 --> 01:19:25.740] Thank you for your question.
[01:19:25.740 --> 01:19:26.740] Next one.
[01:19:26.740 --> 01:19:29.740] Oh I'm sorry, just wait, Sylvie.
[01:19:29.740 --> 01:19:33.740] The Council should buy the boarding houses essentially.
[01:19:33.740 --> 01:19:39.740] Look I think one of the things we've talked about tonight is a difference of opinion about what Council should do with its money.
[01:19:39.740 --> 01:19:49.740] There are 32 rooms in that boarding house, the amount is comparable to the amount of money we spend if we were to pay a community housing provider to build new housing.
[01:19:49.740 --> 01:19:56.740] What the city is doing with the development approval is actually fantastic but most of the boarding houses we are losing come nowhere near the DA process.
[01:19:56.740 --> 01:20:00.740] We've lost hundreds and there's only been 14 DAs in five years.
[01:20:00.740 --> 01:20:04.740] So it's not going to offer us the protection that those houses need.
[01:20:04.740 --> 01:20:10.740] We need to do something else and we can do something else if we really want to protect them.
[01:20:10.740 --> 01:20:23.740] One point, excellent, one point about Selwyn Street is that there are 4,000 people in boarding houses in Sydney living in and this is just a big public campaign to save the boarding houses.
[01:20:23.740 --> 01:20:27.740] There's been, as Sylvie was saying, others that have been taken over.
[01:20:27.740 --> 01:20:41.740] I think actually we are in a really good position to get Council to buy the homes but I would like all the resident groups, Action for Public Housing, the housing tenants to say yep, we're onside.
[01:20:41.740 --> 01:20:46.740] And if we can commit to that tonight that would be something real for Selwyn Street.
[01:20:46.740 --> 01:20:56.740] Thank you, I'd just like to support what Sylvie was saying and the others that the Council should be buying.
[01:20:56.740 --> 01:20:58.740] Boarding houses.
[01:20:58.740 --> 01:21:04.740] Thank you for your question.
[01:21:04.740 --> 01:21:13.740] I was the first Councillor to meet with the Paddington community and put forward a motion to Council to take a more assertive stance in protecting our boarding houses.
[01:21:13.740 --> 01:21:15.740] I'll continue to stand with them.
[01:21:22.740 --> 01:21:37.740] Look what the City does in terms of housing is we've adopted a model which means that we can provide the maximum amount of return in terms of providing housing and we do it in perpetuity.
[01:21:37.740 --> 01:21:57.740] And so we would like to see that we defeat this proposal for luxury housing on that site and that would set a precedent for the Government being able to set new rules in Parliament about protecting boarding houses.
[01:21:57.740 --> 01:22:05.740] And that would support Council because it's really the lack of the Government taking action that has ended up in court.
[01:22:06.740 --> 01:22:15.740] Just so that we can get it clear is there are people on Council right now that voted this down.
[01:22:15.740 --> 01:22:23.740] There are key issues around why we can't kick this down the road because we are going to be kicking the people out.
[01:22:23.740 --> 01:22:30.740] We can't be complacent around these matters and yes we can say that we'll work with State Government to do it.
[01:22:30.740 --> 01:22:39.740] In terms of local Council we have an obligation to protect our boarding houses rather than saying it's someone else's problem.
[01:22:39.740 --> 01:22:49.740] It's a decision that Council needs to make but it was a Council's decision to not step forward to protect these people and buy this out.
[01:22:49.740 --> 01:22:57.740] Rachel I'm sorry we're going to have another question because we've been talking about boarding houses all night.
[01:22:57.740 --> 01:23:10.740] I was wondering as we talk about development, social housing, the importance of dealing with the housing crisis.
[01:23:10.740 --> 01:23:19.740] What your thoughts are about balancing our heritage, our village feel versus more development.
[01:23:19.740 --> 01:23:28.740] And if I could just ask you as you answer to keep your answers to outside of the CBD so suburbs around the CBD if that's alright.
[01:23:28.740 --> 01:23:40.740] When I became Mayor the Government gave us targets that we had to reach in our housing.
[01:23:40.740 --> 01:23:48.740] The decision we made was that new high density development would occur in the former industrial sites.
[01:23:48.740 --> 01:23:59.740] And then Greensquare and Ashmore so that we could protect and keep the heritage villages, the heritage in our local precincts.
[01:24:09.740 --> 01:24:21.740] The Government's given us new targets and they should be applying them right across the metropolitan area and regional areas.
[01:24:21.740 --> 01:24:25.740] Because areas are different and we should have planning proposals appropriate for the area.
[01:24:25.740 --> 01:24:35.740] We are working with the Government, with the Minister on a planning proposal that will accommodate the housing that they're asking us to provide so it doesn't impact on our heritage villages.
[01:24:38.740 --> 01:24:44.740] Can I just say on housing, look, it really is about housing choice.
[01:24:44.740 --> 01:24:47.740] I don't think there's enough being done on housing choice.
[01:24:47.740 --> 01:24:51.740] People at different times of their lives need different types of housing.
[01:24:51.740 --> 01:24:57.740] And this Council, as I said in my speech, they've forgotten about town planning.
[01:24:57.740 --> 01:25:01.740] And especially out in the suburbs, you need more choice of housing.
[01:25:01.740 --> 01:25:06.740] For the young, the middle aged and the elderly, we don't have the choice of housing.
[01:25:06.740 --> 01:25:11.740] And a lot of these issues tonight, especially on affordability.
[01:25:11.740 --> 01:25:16.740] Look, if you don't have a change after 20 years, it's going to be same old, same old.
[01:25:16.740 --> 01:25:22.740] That's why we, as I say, it's not about whether the incumbent has done a good job or a bad job.
[01:25:22.740 --> 01:25:27.740] We need change because otherwise all these issues talked about tonight, nothing's going to happen.
[01:25:27.740 --> 01:25:33.740] Because it's over here, as we can hear, it's either my way or the highway.
[01:25:33.740 --> 01:25:35.740] And that's the way it will continue to be.
[01:25:35.740 --> 01:25:37.740] We need change after 20 years.
[01:25:37.740 --> 01:25:40.740] I urge you to make the change.
[01:25:40.740 --> 01:25:45.740] Thank you.
[01:25:45.740 --> 01:25:48.740] I want to support what the Lord Mayor said about we can meet our targets.
[01:25:48.740 --> 01:25:52.740] And we can do that by only generally infilling the residential suburbs.
[01:25:52.740 --> 01:25:56.740] Like I probably believe it's a good strategy that the Council unanimously endorsed
[01:25:56.740 --> 01:25:59.740] about the density in some places and that generally infill.
[01:25:59.740 --> 01:26:03.740] I think the one thing we could do better, though, is around how the Council engages
[01:26:03.740 --> 01:26:07.740] and lets residents know what we're planning to do with that much earlier.
[01:26:07.740 --> 01:26:09.740] That is a constant criticism we get.
[01:26:09.740 --> 01:26:13.740] It's a huge amount more work for us to do it.
[01:26:13.740 --> 01:26:18.740] But focusing on renovation and infill and taking the community with us all along the way
[01:26:18.740 --> 01:26:21.740] instead of just when official exhibition periods happen.
[01:26:21.740 --> 01:26:24.740] A bit of that happens, but we can do a whole other lot of that better.
[01:26:24.740 --> 01:26:28.740] And then your advice would help us make that gentle infill work.
[01:26:32.740 --> 01:26:38.740] I just wanted to say I'm not sure what it was all about with that Libertarian candidate.
[01:26:38.740 --> 01:26:41.740] And I'm not sure why it was directed at me.
[01:26:41.740 --> 01:26:44.740] And what he said was blatantly untrue and offensive.
[01:26:44.740 --> 01:26:51.740] One of the best things about this community is its diversity.
[01:26:51.740 --> 01:26:56.740] And I thank everyone here who works to preserve that diversity.
[01:26:56.740 --> 01:27:03.740] At its peak in the 1970s, the Aboriginal community in Redfern was surrounded by 35,000.
[01:27:03.740 --> 01:27:05.740] No, no, it is about the question.
[01:27:05.740 --> 01:27:11.740] Today, as a result of government policy, the Aboriginal community is only about 1 or 2,000 odd.
[01:27:11.740 --> 01:27:16.740] We are all poorer for this and now we're seeing the same thing happen with our creatives,
[01:27:16.740 --> 01:27:18.740] young people and key workers.
[01:27:18.740 --> 01:27:24.740] Unless we take divisive action, Sydney is at risk of becoming a soulless rodeo for the rich.
[01:27:25.740 --> 01:27:26.740] (APPLAUSE)
[01:27:26.740 --> 01:27:28.740] OK, next question, please.
[01:27:28.740 --> 01:27:33.740] Hi, thank you for giving us the opportunity to be here.
[01:27:33.740 --> 01:27:40.740] I'm a resident on Chalmers Street in the Redfern Heritage Conservation Area across the road from Redfern Park.
[01:27:40.740 --> 01:27:46.740] Two months ago, I learned in the Sydney Morning Herald of a developer's proposal to place light rail down my street
[01:27:46.740 --> 01:27:49.740] and that it has support from our elected members.
[01:27:49.740 --> 01:27:53.740] Such projects have benefited some and lost its founders.
[01:27:53.740 --> 01:28:00.740] I fear I am in the latter and obviously, in the absence of any detail on what this means for my street
[01:28:00.740 --> 01:28:04.740] and the impact of Redfern Park, it's quite distressing.
[01:28:04.740 --> 01:28:07.740] It's actually top to the garbage on my list of priorities.
[01:28:07.740 --> 01:28:08.740] (LAUGHTER)
[01:28:08.740 --> 01:28:12.740] Whilst it's understood such a project could be the responsibility of the state government
[01:28:12.740 --> 01:28:19.740] and as such so informal community engagement, I feel that local government can play a strong role here.
[01:28:19.740 --> 01:28:28.740] So I ask that the candidates if elected, will you propose the City of Sydney undertakes its own community consult consultation
[01:28:28.740 --> 01:28:32.740] and provides ratepayers with further information on the proposal
[01:28:32.740 --> 01:28:36.740] and more broadly, commit to the preservation of heritage areas
[01:28:36.740 --> 01:28:43.740] and balance consideration for the people who live in them with those who live or will live in emerging areas?
[01:28:43.740 --> 01:28:48.740] Good question. I just think I might hear a show of hands from the candidates if you don't mind.
[01:28:48.740 --> 01:28:53.740] So the question was, would you propose support rather, taking part in--
[01:28:53.740 --> 01:28:56.740] It's not running down Charles Street.
[01:28:56.740 --> 01:28:58.740] The lady says that--
[01:28:58.740 --> 01:28:59.740] Sorry.
[01:28:59.740 --> 01:29:03.740] The LORD MAYOR says that the proposal isn't to have it run down Charles Street.
[01:29:03.740 --> 01:29:04.740] George Street, please.
[01:29:04.740 --> 01:29:05.740] George Street.
[01:29:05.740 --> 01:29:06.740] George Street.
[01:29:06.740 --> 01:29:13.740] The light rail comes from up Charles Street, around Redfern Park, onto Phillips Street and through to Salem.
[01:29:13.740 --> 01:29:14.740] That's the map.
[01:29:14.740 --> 01:29:21.740] And the developer actually says that on Charles Street, around Redfern Park, it will become a destination in its own right.
[01:29:21.740 --> 01:29:23.740] Like, this is the plan. That's the plan.
[01:29:23.740 --> 01:29:24.740] So--
[01:29:24.740 --> 01:29:25.740] All I have is the map.
[01:29:25.740 --> 01:29:26.740] Yeah.
[01:29:26.740 --> 01:29:27.740] And you're quoting the developer.
[01:29:27.740 --> 01:29:33.740] Okay. So if I could ask for a show of hands, whether or not you would support being part of the consultation
[01:29:33.740 --> 01:29:37.740] so that state government is not the only one managing the consultation.
[01:29:37.740 --> 01:29:38.740] We do that too.
[01:29:38.740 --> 01:29:39.740] We do that.
[01:29:39.740 --> 01:29:40.740] Okay. I think we're fine.
[01:29:40.740 --> 01:29:42.740] And the heritage preservation--
[01:29:42.740 --> 01:29:46.740] Oh, and the heritage preservation. I beg your pardon. Thank you.
[01:29:46.740 --> 01:29:55.740] Look, it's 8.30. I want to thank everyone that's here, the candidates, the other members of council,
[01:29:55.740 --> 01:30:01.740] for being patient about tonight and being respectful.
[01:30:01.740 --> 01:30:06.740] I love this country and I love this city, and I think we have seen democracy in action.
[01:30:06.740 --> 01:30:09.740] Sometimes it's very hard to know who you're voting for.
[01:30:09.740 --> 01:30:18.740] I'd like to thank the candidates for fronting up and for their sense of who you are.
[01:30:18.740 --> 01:30:22.740] So on behalf of the Alexander Residence Action Group, Friends of Erskineville and Red Watch,
[01:30:22.740 --> 01:30:26.740] I thank you all for coming along and participating in this forum.
[01:30:26.740 --> 01:30:32.740] We hope this has been of assistance to you to decide who to vote for when casting your vote on the 14th of September.
[01:30:32.740 --> 01:30:38.740] If you'd like any other information about any of our groups, please come and talk to us here.
[01:30:38.740 --> 01:30:43.740] The treasurer of our group is also promoting the tea towels that we sell over there.
[01:30:43.740 --> 01:30:45.740] It's part of the way we fundraise.
[01:30:45.740 --> 01:30:50.740] But also, there is the Build a Bridge campaign, which is talking about the bridge between North and South Evelyn.
[01:30:50.740 --> 01:30:54.740] And I ask that if any of you have not signed that petition, please do.
[01:30:54.740 --> 01:31:01.740] But I also ask that the Hale and Harty of you help by helping us stack the chairs at the rear of the room.
[01:31:01.740 --> 01:31:03.740] Otherwise, we'll be doing that.
[01:31:03.740 --> 01:31:06.740] But I would like to thank you all and to all of our candidates.
[01:31:06.740 --> 01:31:09.740] I really appreciate your time tonight.
[01:31:09.740 --> 01:31:14.740] Hopefully, it's been a good night for you guys to get a sense of this amazing commitment that we're a part of.
[01:31:14.740 --> 01:31:16.740] So, thank you all.
[01:31:16.740 --> 01:31:20.740] [applause]