eCouncillor

2010-01-01T23:05:00.002+11:00

Welcome to my eCouncillor Blog site. I will no longer be posting Blogs to this site. You can keep up with my Council, Liberal Party, civil liberty and other interests at:

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www.shaynemallard.com

and eCouncillor newsletter.

thank you for your interest

Shayne

Walk for AIDS

2008-11-23T13:15:00.006+11:00

ACON, Bobby Goldsmith Foundation (BGF) and Positive Life NSW are once again hosting the Walk for AIDS on Sunday 23 November 2008. Now in its fourth year, the Walk for AIDS raises much needed funds for services for HIV positive people.When: Sunday 23 November 2008, 11am till 2pmWhere: The Domain and Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney

Shayne 's speech at Walk for AIDS

Thank you Ita

Malcolm Turnbull rang me on Friday afternoon and asked if I could represent him here today. He extends his apologies that he has a last minute interstate travel clash as Leader of the Opposition and that he can not be here with us for this important event.

However I am honoured to do so – not only because I have great respect for Malcolm and indeed Lucy, and their unquestioning commitment to our community, especially the cause of HIV AIDS and the work of the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation.

But also on a personal level I am proud to be here because the three organisations that have joined together for the fourth year now to organise today’s fundraiser and awareness event, BGF, ACON and Positive Life NSW are very important to me personally and I am proud to have worked with them over the past decade or so.

In my 15 years as an openly gay man in Sydney I have witnessed first hand the important work the three organisations do in our community and also with other at risk communities such as sex workers and intravenous drug users.

And as we have seen HIV AIDS evolve from a crisis that stole away so many lives too quickly - to where we stand today managing a chronic illness, that still takes lives, that still greatly impacts on lives and a virus that more people live with today than in its history.

Our three peak community organisations and their dedicated staff and many volunteers have evolved as well, where today BGF, ACON and Positive Life NSW are world leading examples of a longer term sustainable community driven response to this health challenge.

Today’s Walk for AIDS as an opening event for AIDS awareness week and World AIDS Day on 1st December, and it reminds us all as members of the community that we all still live with the great challenges of HIV AIDS.

Whilst we may get tired of hearing about it we must maintain our strong community responses through raising awareness and helping those who live with the virus.

We should also spare some time to consider how fortunate we are to be living in a developed western country and reflect upon the lives of those in developing countries, many of whom are our nearby neighbours in South East Asia and the Pacific where the HIV AIDS pandemic is destroying generations of young men, women and children.

Again on behalf of Malcolm Turnbull congratulations to you all for coming along today and thank you to the tireless organisers and volunteers working not only today but 365 days of the year to help improve people’s lives and safeguard the community when it comes to HIV AIDS.

More voices join lockout outcry - SX News

2008-11-20T08:58:00.001+11:00

Written by Peter Hackney with Reg Domingo

City of Sydney Councillor Shayne Mallard and the NSW Council for Civil Liberties have added their voices to the growing list of people and organisations opposed to the 2am-10am lockout for licensed premises, which will apply to 50 venues across the state, including four gay venues, from Monday, December 1.

Liberal councillor Mallard (pictured) told the council’s third Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Forum, held at Sydney Town Hall last Tuesday, that the lockout was an unfair collective punishment that penalised innocent people along with the relatively small number of troublemakers.

“It’s a blunt instrument, a collective punishment for the entire community,” he said. “Two per cent of us are causing trouble and the rest of us are being punished.”
“There is a huge community uproar about it ... I’m getting information from people every day very upset about it.”

Mallard cast doubt on the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) figures used to select the 50 venues. The venues correlate to the top 50 licensed premises for police-reported incidents on BOCSAR’s database.

“I really wonder if the BOCSAR information is sophisticated enough,” said Mallard. “The Stonewall Hotel manager [has said], ‘I call the police anytime there’s a minor assault because I like to keep a very clean house.’ Now he’s being punished for that.”
“Don’t you think using BOCSAR figures like this will discourage [venues] from calling the police?” he asked Surry Hills Police Local Area Commander, Superintendent Donna Adney.
“No, I don’t,” she replied.

Supt Adney added that contrary to claims that BOCSAR data included incidents on footpaths and roads outside premises, it only related to incidents within a venue.
“There is a process whereby BOCSAR can ‘cleanse’ the data to show assaults in premises only,” she told the forum. “It’s not linking data – it’s about assaults in premises only.”
However, Supt Adney admitted that the lockout scheme was problematically selective, and she advocated a possible extension to the lockout, to include all licensed premises: “I would say it probably hasn’t gone far enough in that we have a proliferation of 24-hour and late-night trading venues along Oxford Street. T o put a 2am lockout on only four or five of them is problematic because you can just roll along to the very next venue.”

The NSW Council of Civil Liberties, however, was not convinced of the need for any lockouts at all, let alone an expansion of the scheme.
Stephen Blanks, Secretary of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties (CCL), said the lockouts were “a disproportionate response to a problem that is best handled in other ways”.
Ensuring venues’ adherence to existing responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) laws was preferable to penalising the public, he said.

Blanks told SX that the NSW CCL intended to fight for patron’s rights: “We’ll be closely monitoring the lockout results to see whether there is any reduction in violence. We will lobby the appropriate authorities to ensure that their policies to reduce alcohol-related violence are effective and don’t infringe people’s civil liberties.”

Report to Council and Ratepayers on San Francisco Sister City Visit June 25 – July 3 2008

2008-08-25T15:54:00.015+10:00

Background:
2008 marks the 40th anniversary of the sister City relationship between the City of San Francisco and the City of Sydney. The Mayor of City and County of San Francisco Mr Gavin Newsom invited the Lord Mayor to participate in the 38th Annual San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration on June 28 and 29, 2008. The invitation proposed a series of events linking Sydney and San Francisco, including celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Sister City relationship and a special exhibition on the historical ties between the Sydney and San Francisco GLBT communities. The invitation reciprocated the City’s reception of a delegation from San Francisco. The Lord Mayor was not able to personally participate on this occasion and Council resolved on 12th May 2008 to send Councillors Phillip Black and myself to represent the City of Sydney.

By way of background, Sister Cities International is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network creating and strengthening partnerships between international communities in an effort to increase global cooperation at the municipal level, to promote cultural understanding and to stimulate economic development. Sister Cities International leads the movement for local community development and volunteer action by motivating and empowering private citizens, municipal officials and business leaders to conduct long-term programs of mutual benefit.

To encourage sharing of cultural, trade and tourist links, Sydney City Council maintains sister city relations with the following cities:

San Francisco, California, USA established in 1968
Nagoya, Japan established in 1980
Wellington, New Zealand established in 1982
Portsmouth, United Kingdom established in 1984
Guangzhou, China established in 1985
Florence, Italy established in 1986

The Sister City Program began as an initiative of the Eisenhower Government in the United States in 1952 as a way to bring cities and their people together after the devastation of World War 2.

City Hall San Francisco with AIDS memorial quilt panels on display

Program of Meetings

To gain the maximum benefit from the short visit a series of formal and informal meetings were arranged with the valued assistance of the Protocol Department in the City of Sydney and the Mayor’s Office in San Francisco. The period of the visit coincided with the celebrations of the 38th GLBT Pride parade (equivalent to Sydney’s Mardi Gras parade) and included several ceremonies and welcome events at which we participated and were acknowledged warmly. I was accompanied by my partner Mr Jesper Hansen who traveled at his own expense.

Zipcar
Mr Dan Shifrin – Vice President of Zipcar.
This meeting was to examine the highly successful car share programs in San Francisco.

Car Share and Green Hybrid Taxi’s in San Francisco

Zipcar is the private sector provider of ‘car share’ services in San Francisco and has 700 cars and 20,000 members. Zipcar operates under a private profit model and is owned by Benchmark Capital who also own eBay and other innovative businesses. Zipcar moved into the generally not for profit car share business space offering a different service to the existing not for profit providers. Zipcar offers a seamless car share service to members across the United States which gives it an advantage for business travelers and a mobile work force. They target corporations and have an aggressive program to replace existing corporate fleets that sit largely dormant with their car share vehicles located in basements of corporate buildings for business usage.

Zipcar marketing includes targeting the largest corporations and encouraging Zipcar services as part of employment packages and working closely with corporate travel and sustainability managers. Zipcar do not charge a general membership fee (up to $500 for NFP CarShare) and charge vehicle usage on a per kilometer basis. Sourcing accessible parking spaces for their fleet is the biggest issue with the City not providing on street parking spaces. Their policy is to have a Zipcar within 5 blocks of a customer. As such Zipcars can be seen across San Francisco in leased car spaces within service stations, private car parks and even McDonalds outlets.

Summary: The private for profit sector Zipcar competitor to the NFP CarShare demonstrates an evolution and maturing of the car share concept. COS should be prepared for the challenges of equal access to parking and resources that entry of private sector competition will inevitably bring to Sydney. Competition in this market may bring down costs to consumers, improve marketing and demand, provide more access to services across the Australian east coast and reduce private vehicle dependency and related environmental, traffic and parking challenges for the City of Sydney. The City should encourage more competition in the car share markets.

City of San Francisco Chinese New Year Organisers
Mr Edwin Lee – City Administrator
Mr Arnold Chin – Parade Director Chinese Chamber of Commerce

CNY meeting at City Hall

This meeting was to discuss SF Chinese New Year parade and possible future exchanges of key personnel and organisers and to explore similarities and differences in the sister City approaches to CNY.

Similar to Sydney, San Francisco has a large Chinese and Asian heritage community. Their CNY celebrations and parade are a major tourist and economic benefit to the City. The budget for CNY is US$1.6 million most of which is self funded through events and sponsorship. The City provides only approximately US$50,000 directly but does not account for the ‘in kind’ services estimated to be several hundred thousand dollars in areas such as cleansing, barricades, road closures, venue hires, policing and security etc. Unlike COS this area is not market priced and packaged as part of any sponsorship deal. The CNY brings over one million visitors to SF and the evening parade is televised on special language channels resulting in huge exposure for the City.
Potential exchanges of personnel were discussed but the difficulty will always be that CNY is at the same time globally and all Chinese community members are either involved in the celebrations or returning to their families.

Summary: Similar to Sydney the San Francisco CNY celebrations are organized in partnership with Chinese community leaders and a Chinese community committee with leadership from the community. San Francisco’s CNY appears more established than Sydney’s and if possible COS should seek exchanges of senior event staff to strengthen our CNY celebrations and maximize tourism and economic opportunities for Sydney.

PRIDE Flag Raising Ceremony

Annual Flag Raising ceremony & 30th Anniversary of PRIDE Flag. This ceremony took place on the internal City Hall steps area and was followed by a reception and ceremonial flag raising on the Mayor’s Balcony. Mayor Gavin Newsom spoke of the strong and proud history of GLBT community in San Francisco of course referring to the slain GLBT campaigner Supervisor (Councillor) Harvey Milk whose bust overlooks the ceremony. The Councillors from COS were also formally acknowledged and welcomed. The PRIDE festivities were heightened by the community celebrations surrounding the recent State Supreme Court decision that validated same sex marriages conducted in San Francisco City Hall. During our visit we witnessed a huge outpouring of genuine emotions over this decision and strong affection for Mayor Newsom fro his courageous decision to legalise gay marriages at City Hall. The ceremonial unfurling and flying of the PRIDE flag off the Mayor’s balcony over the front steps of City Hall was a much anticipated and emotional event.

Summary: The Mayor’s Balcony ceremony prompted consideration whether the COS Town Hall Balcony over the George Street portico could be better utilised for similar ceremonial events with a Lord Mayor’s special flag pole installed and ceremonies conducted with various community leaders to mark special community occasions such as PRIDE /Mardi Gras, NAIDOC week, Chinese New Year, ANZAC Day etc.

Shayne & Mayor Gavin Newsom

Positive Resource Centre (AIDS Research)
Brett Andrews – Executive Director Positive Resource Center
Mike Smith – Executive Director AIDS Emergency Fund
Steve Tierny – Ed D Professor, California Institute of Integral Studies, Health Commissioner
Alex Randolph – Liaison to District 8 LGBTQ Community, Mayor’s Office
Lance Toma - Executive Director Asian Pacific Islander Wellness Centre

Another Charity event

At this extensive meeting over several hours we were joined by famed celebrity community leader and fundraiser Donna Sachet (self described on her business card as ‘Singer, emcee, fund-raiser, hostess extraordinaire’).

This extensive meeting was a consultation with HIV and GLBT community health leaders to discuss how San Francisco was responding to the changing nature of HIV infections, delivering health care to an aging demographic and preventing new infections.

As an overview of the HIV situation in San Francisco and the rest of USA we were told that 92% of HIV infections in USA were gay men whilst only 74% of funding is directed towards them. It is thought that more than one million people are living with HIV in the USA and that more than half a million have died after developing AIDS.

Lance Toma informed us that African Americans and South Pacific men are experiencing a spike in infection rates but this may be a result of better screening and testing procedures in their communities. In San Francisco there are 20 different language groups requiring specialised and well developed communications tools and engagement. Multicultural minorities in San Francisco GLBT community experience racial discriminations similar to those reported in Sydney and result on lower self esteem and possible higher infection rates. Interest was expressed in gaining a better understanding of HIV awareness issues and programs that may operate for Australian ATSI community.

San Francisco has not followed the national trend with increasing HIV rates. This was attributed to a well developed community self care model as evident from this meeting (similar to Sydney’s) and the opening of ‘Magnet’ which is a drop in centre one stop shop for young GLBT people to seek advice, testing etc from community providers. This centre subsequently visited is located in the heart of the Castro district (ie Oxford Street) amongst the popular night clubs, restaurants and bars.

With the advent of antiviral drugs and the shift of HIV from a terminal illness to a chronic heath condition, have come the challenges of an aging HIV positive population. Professor Tierny provided great insight to the challenges of providing quality health care services to long term HIV sufferers. HIV heath services have adapted to providing integrated geriatric health care services for this growing community.

Mike Smith of AIDS Emergency Fund focused on the legal services they provide to clients. In particular in the areas of immigration, tenancy rights, public housing, minor legal issues and employment rights where HIV discrimination is a major problem. San Francisco is viewed as a ‘sanctuary city’ in the USA and therefore a lot of people find themselves their seeking refuge from legal and other persecutions and seek out their services.

Donna Sachet talked about the fundraising challenges after 30 years with the onset of ‘giving fatigue’ - something Sydney experiences as well when so many organisations seek community funds for their work. Whilst in SF several appeals were underway at the one time including a walkathon for HIV and the sidewalk sale during PRIDE.

Shayne visited the National AIDS Memorial Grove dedicated
by Congress as a National Memorial Site.

SFMTA Municipal Transport Agency
Oliver J Gajda – Bicycle Program Manager
Nick E Carr – Bicycle Saftey Education and Outreach MTA Planning
Bridget Bjorna Smith Senior Engineer MTA Planning

This meeting commenced by joining an induction lecture for MTA interns. This gave an overview of San Francisco’s bicycle planning. Sadly the sister City’s share similar inadequate facilities and low levels of cycling. In 2006 a resident took the SF bike plan to court seeking an injunction claiming it was not fully assessed in areas of environment and economic impacts in the long term. The court upheld the complaint and granted an injunction preventing the City implementing any of its bike plan until 2009 by which time comprehensive research and assessment were needed to be in place. A disappointed Mayor Newsom released a statement that summarises the bike plan and way forward:

MAYOR NEWSOM REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO CITY’S BIKE PLAN
San Francisco, CA – Mayor Newsom today reaffirmed his support for significant improvement to bicycling conditions in San Francisco, following a Superior Court ruling that sends the City’s 2005 Bicycle Plan back to the environmental review process and slows the implementation of the city’s goal to create a citywide bicycle network.

“I am disappointed by the court’s ruling on the city’s Bicycle Plan, but I am in no way discouraged from my commitment to making San Francisco a world class city for bicycling,” said Mayor Newsom. “Better, safer bicycling is good for San Franciscans and good for our environment – I remain committed to realizing our goal of a citywide bicycle network, that unites the current patchwork of bike lanes into a unified, comprehensive system. San Francisco has set an ambitious goal to make 10% of all commute trips in the City bicycle trips within the next 3 and a half years.”

In this context the meeting was held with department experts and enthusiasts who rather than seeing the injunction as a set back have embraced it as an opportunity to ‘get it all right’. When the injunction is lifted in 2009 they plan to roll out the new bike plan across the City. One benefit of the injunction has been the ‘mainstreaming’ of the bicycle planning within MTA. Prior to the court decision the bicycle planners were fully funded through state and federal grants. Being unable to meet the grant requirements under the injunction San Francisco took bicycles ‘in house’ to the mainstream budget. Today nine planners work along side pedestrian, parking and traffic planners in the department.

Key observations:
Target 10% commuter trips by bicycle by 2010
State requires each city to have a bike plan and the State funds bike plans
Issues of state and national laws preventing some international measures eg painted lanes in higher stress zones. There is a chance SF can trial these measures and if proven successful they may be approved for elsewhere in USA. This is how pedestrian crossing counters were introduced in SF and USA.
SF has developed the ‘sharrow’ which is two arrows in shared traffic lanes where cyclists can ride knowing they are outside the ‘car door zone’ of parked cars which is still the highest area of accidents and injuries.
It is noted that wearing helmet whilst riding is not compulsory for adults in SF though highly recommended by SF authorities.
Currently 2000 bike racks are grouped and installed across the city – where space is not available on street car parking space is utilised.
Bike plan has conducted road audits and identified roads built with over capacity and allow for bike lanes to be implemented
San Francisco is favouring painted bicycle lanes on wide streets.
Parks and key links through green space are shared corridors for cyclists
‘Coexist’ education program involves building behviour change and positive relationships between motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians

The two hour visit ended with a two hour bicycle ride throughout key San Francisco routes and paths guided by the department’s dedicated staff. This was undertaken during afternoon peek and was a similar experience to commuter riding in Sydney.

Summary: San Francisco transport planners have embraced cycling as a sustainable transport mode that offers real benefits to the City and its people. Similar to Sydney San Francisco is starting from a low base with little cultural history supporting cycling and faces the same challenges Sydney faces in implementing a comprehensive bike plan, coherent bicycle networks, safer infrastructure and greater understanding from all parties (including cyclists) using the cities roads. It would seem beneficial for COS to exchange senior bicycle planning staff some time after 2010 to share knowledge and experience in implementing their respective bike plans.

Dedication of Pink Triangle

Shayne addressed the ceremony along with Councillor Phillip Black

This annual ceremony takes place on Twin Peaks high above San Francisco with views to the across the City to the famous bay, bridges and out to the Pacific Ocean. On our visit it was a cold and misty morning but this did not take away from the community enthusiasm for this ceremony which is a sombre occasion reminding us of the history of oppression for GLBT community symbolised by the pink triangle that homosexuals were forced to wear in the NAZI concentration camps. Speeches were delivered by community and political leaders including the San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, Assemblyman Mark Leno, Senator Carole Migden, Supervisor Tom Ammiano, Supervisor Bevan Dufty, and Treasurer José Cisneros. German Consul General Rolf Schütte made a brief speech as did Councillor Black and myself. Councillor Black referred to the permanent pink triangle memorial we have established in Green Park whilst I spoke about our sister city relationship and my support for gay marriage reforms.

The central speaker was Arsham Parsi, who has been called the "first Iranian gay activist". “Even though the hatred that existed in Germany 70 years ago that led to the creation of the pink triangle no longer exists there, such hatred certainly exists in other places - such as Iran. According to Iranian human rights campaigners, over 4000 lesbians and gay men have been executed since the Ayatollahs seized power in 1979. "Consensual gay sex in any form is punishable by death in the Islamic Republic of Iran" (source http://www.thepinktriangle.com/ for more information and images of the day).

The ceremony was a memorable part of the visit and a sombre reminder of the leadership of the community and the continued suffering of others in the world today. It provided an appropriate contrast to the other celebrations throughout the City.

Pride Parade

The City of Sydney VIP car for parade

The highlight and focus of the Sister City exchange was to represent the City of Sydney in the annual Lesbian, Gay Bisexual and Transgender PRIDE Parade. During the visit we were often asked ‘which is better? San Francisco Pride or Sydney’s Mardi Gras?’ and with appropriate political sensitivity the answer was that they are both different and unique and in so many ways not comparable. The San Francisco parade goes through the heart of the City district in a sense traversing what would be the equivalent George Street and ending outside their City Hall in a large public square. It is a day time parade watched by hundreds of thousands and with several hundred community, government and commercial floats.

The City of Sydney Councillors were provided with a convertible and appropriate signage and we were very warmly welcomed by the crowd. It was evident that many watching the parade had a great affection for Sydney and Australia and appreciated our participation. A strong focus of the parade was celebration of the new gay marriage rights and a growing campaign to stop Proposition 8, a citizen initiated ballot to eliminate the right of same sex couples to marry. The COS float proudly carried ‘No to the Gay Marriage Ban’ signs.

Campaigning to oppose Proposition 8 ballot to ban gay marriages

The parade ended in a huge daytime festival outside City Hall with speeches by Gavin Newsom and other community and civic leaders. Finding City Hall and the large forecourt open space and parkland a great focus for the community celebrations reminded me of the potential of the planned Town Hall Square where the Woolworth’s building stands today and the opportunity for a great city square for such community festivities uniting the Town Hall with so many of the events we support.

Conclusion:
The sister city relationship with San Francisco is appropriate at so many different levels. The two cities united for 40 years share so much in common including their great waterways and iconic bridges. But most importantly they share a strong bond of tolerance, acceptance and celebration of the diversity within their communities. At so many different levels the two cities can benefit from the exchange of knowledge, experience and ideas going forward for both our great cities. I recommend examination of opportunities to sponsor exchanges of community leaders and staff in areas of Community HIV responses, Chinese New Year and the Bicycle strategy work.

I want to place on the record my appreciation of the Council in approving this visit with Councillor Phillip Black and the vital professional support of our COS staff lead by Rod Kirkman. I also acknowledge the tremendous organisational support from Mayor Newsom’s office and the San Francisco PRIDE committee.

Shayne Mallard
Councillor

Pictures available on Face Book

Full set of pictures covering the Sister City visit are posted on Shayne Mallard’s face book page for the public to view:

Public Link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=42694&l=cb3ed&id=722086405

Announcing Sydney Liberal Action Team - offering Voters Real Choice

2008-08-10T08:33:00.000+10:00

Council election about choice and accountability

City of Sydney Councillor Shayne Mallard today launched the Liberal Party’s team for the September Council elections.

Shayne, as the Lord Mayoral candidate, heads the team of nine local residents and business owners. In introducing the team on the campaign’s new website (www.SydneyLiberals.org.au), Shayne pointed to their experience, “We have a dynamic and energetic group of people standing for Council. We have a balance of age and experience representing the diversity of the residents of the City of Sydney.”

Shayne asked the community to consider carefully the unsustainable financial direction of the current Lord Mayor and her administration.

“Clover Moore’s big spending Council has endorsed the Sydney2030 strategy, estimated to cost $20 billion, without a single business case or financial report presented to the public.”

“Clover Moore’s Council is burning through $180,000 a day more than it gets in ratepayer revenue*.”

“Think of this as the Council indulging in a new, top of the range Mercedes every day for the next four years.”

To underline the point of how excessive the cash deficit is, Shayne launched his team on William Street, famous for its expensive sports cars as a dramatic visual reminder of the extravagance of this big spending Lord Mayor and her ‘Independent Party’.

“With growing economic uncertainty, Sydney can no longer afford this big spending Lord Mayor and her unquestioning Councillors.”

“The City Council should budget to live within its means, just like the rest of us.”

“My Liberal Action Team offers a real choice for voters. We will give the Council accountability and balance on what could be the most financially undisciplined Council in the history of Sydney."

"The real choice is between our middle ground, mainstream team or a cluster of hard line, big spending, left wing politicians,” he concluded.

The Liberal Action Team will be announcing policies in three key areas over the coming weeks focused on restoring pride and business confidence, building safer neighbourhoods and fixing parking and traffic problems.

* Source: City of Sydney Corporate Plan 2009-2012

CANDIDATES’ BACKGROUND
Details and pictures are available at the website: www.SydneyLiberals.org.au

Shayne Mallard – has been a councillor for eight years, first serving on the former South Sydney Council and then the City of Sydney from 2004. Shayne’s career in local government has focused on responsible financial management of ratepayers’ money and supporting business growth and local employment. Shayne is actively involved in supporting community organisations, including the NSW Council for Civil Liberties and the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Business Association. Shayne’s profession is as a corporate marketing and communications consultant operating a small business in East Sydney. Previous to this Shayne has worked in media, advertising and government roles. Shayne also took a break from the white collar world and opened a successful nursery and garden design business in East Sydney in partnership with his brother. He continues to have a passion for gardening and horticulture, which has been valuable in his leadership on the future of Hyde Park, other parklands and the expansion of the city’s street trees. Shayne was born and raised in outer western Sydney. He completed a degree in political science and Australian history at Macquarie University. Shayne moved to the inner eastern suburbs in the early 1990s and today he lives with his partner in Potts Point.

Edward Mandla – held leadership roles in Australian and multinational technology organisations. Edward runs his own executive search business. He spent four years as National President and Immediate Past President of the Australian Computer Society. In 2007, Edward was the Liberal candidate for the State Seat of Sydney. Edward has three children and two city dogs that come to work each day and enjoy being out on the campaign trail.

Rebecca Lau – has lived in the City of Sydney for more than 10 years. She graduated from the University of New South Wales with a Bachelor of Commerce degree. Rebecca has a background in marketing and has worked for several years in the publishing industry both in Australia and in the UK. She is now the Director of a fashion company based in Sydney and is regularly interviewed in magazines and on TV. She is passionate about living in a city that is recognised as one of the best in the world.

Georgina Anderson – after completing an economics degree at the University of Sydney and working with BHP, Georgina went to New York to study acting. Upon her return Georgina trod the boards in Sydney and established her own business in the city as an independent mortgage broker. Georgina was the candidate for the federal seat of Sydney in the 2007 election and she is a member of the Pyrmont Ultimo Chamber of Commerce.

David Evans – is a resident of Pyrmont. David studied engineering and obtained his honours degree in engineering from the University of Surrey UK in 1970. He worked as a designer and project manager. David has also operated a consultancy service that provides software development and analysis to blue chip companies. David has been married to Marilyn for 39 years and together have raised three children. David is currently chairperson of the owners’ corporation of a large city strata building; while Marilyn has been involved with the administration of the Pyrmont Ultimo Chamber of Commerce. Both believe strongly in developing local community associations.

Glenn Phillips – lives in Newtown and is a solicitor who specialises in corporate, commercial and intellectual property law. He is currently the general counsel and a senior manager with an Australian-based manufacturing company. Glenn has previously worked as a tax consultant and as a solicitor. He has also been an investment banker in Tokyo. Glenn is active in the community. For a number of years he was one of the organisers of the Mardi Gras Film Festival and he remains a trustee of the Stephen Cummins Film Trust. He is currently working with the organisers on arrangements for the Under the Blue Moon Festival, the annual goth festival in Newtown and Enmore.

Adrian Bartels – has ten years experience in the finance industry. For the last three years, Adrian has had his own finance broking business in Kings Cross. Adrian is involved with the Kings Cross Partnership, as treasurer. He is chairman of the Owner's Corporation. He has volunteered at the Wayside Chapel, St. Canices Church, and with the Jesuit Refugee Service. He has more recently become involved with Amnesty International. He has a Bachelor of Economics and Social Sciences (Political Economy and Government and International Relations). Adrian lives with his partner of nine years in Potts Point. Together they share a passion for human rights and social justice.

Giovanni Frischman – lives in Glebe, but was born in Cape Town, South Africa. His family immigrated to Australia in 1992. After spending two years in Adelaide, he moved to Townsville where his parents worked as paediatricians. Giovanni was a member of the Townsville Youth Council and graduated from Pimlico State High School in 2004. After graduating, he lived for a year in Chile, where he became fluent in Spanish and learned to appreciate the good fortune that Australians enjoy. He is currently completing a Bachelor of Arts (Advanced) with a major in Latin at the University of Sydney.

Jeff Koid – was born in Singapore and grew up in Sydney. He is a Financial Adviser working in the CBD who walks to work from his home in Pyrmont. He attended the University of Western Sydney where he was active on the student council. A music lover, Jeff plays both electric and acoustic guitar. He is a regular at St Bedes Church, Pyrmont where he plays guitar for the Choir. Jeff worked full time as a volunteer for World Youth Day and wants a more active voice on Council for the younger residents of Sydney.

(pictured Left to right - David Evans, Giovanni Frischman, Rebecca Lau, Edward Mandla, Shayne Mallard, Georgina Anderson, Glenn Phillips, Adrian Bartels - Note Jeff Koid not in picture)

Election Funding Reforms

2008-08-06T16:44:00.005+10:00

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
6 August 2008

Statement on Election Funding Reform

In my 8 years as a Councillor I have always been a strong supporter of genuine election donation and funding reforms. Over the years I have argued at Council and at the Local Government & Shires Association level that the government should introduce similar reforms to the USA with donations prohibited to campaigns and political parties from all entities (corporations, partnerships, unions, associations etc) other than individuals and capped at a responsible level such as $2000 per campaign. In addition I support campaign expenditure caps (eg on direct mail and advertising expenditure) and tax deductibility for small donations to encourage and reactivate grass roots engagement in the political process.

These are genuine reforms that have been generally supported by Council and the LGSA conference. However the responsibility for introducing any reforms lies squarely at the feet of the State and Federal parliaments. The recent reforms introduced by the NSW Parliament have created last minute uncertainty and compliance headaches for all candidates, particularly the independents and smaller local based campaigns such as ours. In the longer term parliament must hold a balanced sober enquiry into proper and fair long term donations and funding reforms that create a genuine level playing field, encourage community involvement in elections and are transparent.

In the politically heated weeks before an election the Council can not act on its own to create a non compulsory system that shifts the goal posts for some candidates who agree but not all. In addition the motion moved by the Greens was legally flawed in that it sought to violate the current legal privacy donors are entitled to if they are donating less that $1000. This legal privacy can not be violated by a Council resolution.

My Liberal Campaign Reforms

In my Liberal campaign for Town Hall we have introduced our own voluntary reforms without fanfare or political grandstanding at Council. We have capped all donations for the City of Sydney campaign at $2000 and our average donation to date is a quarter of that amount. We are also experimenting with internet fundraising and encouraging a broad based community support for our campaign. Of course we are also complying with all current disclosure laws.

Our campaign is against well funded opponents. Labor’s Left wing candidate is supported by wealthy unions such as the CFMEU whilst Clover Moore’s party has abused millions of dollars in public money with self promotion, publications, events and advertising that I have called on the Department of Local Government to investigate.

Shayne Mallard
Councillor
Liberal candidate for Lord Mayor of Sydney

Sydney Morning Herald today reports - Moore votes down donations disclosure

Sydney City Council financial result ‘pea and shell’ accounting

2008-08-04T06:10:00.002+10:00

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
3 August 2008

Liberal Candidate for Lord Mayor of Sydney and Deputy Chair of Council’s Finance Committee, Councillor Shayne Mallard, has criticised the final quarter financial reports for the Council as an example of the classic ‘pea and shell’ confidence trick.

"Where is the much promised ‘accelerated’ capital works spending for the community? Is it under this year’s shell or is it under next year’s?" Shayne said.

"For the fourth year in a row this administration has failed to deliver on its hyped and overblown capital works promises.
"Every year this administration has spectacularly failed to meet its published budget. In the last financial year, the Council was only able to spend $120.4 million of a promised $174.8 million in capital works.
"This is clear evidence that Clover Moore and her team are not able to deliver any sort of acceptable financial management or accountability for this City.
"They are clearly asking too much of the staff. This reinforces my long held view that this orgy of spending is unsustainable and should be spread evenly over a 10 year period," Shayne added.
"The Lord Mayor has attempted to front-load the spending to help her re-election bid, but she has failed miserably with many projects still on the drawing board or not near their promised completion.
Shayne also alerted the community to some sneaky changes to Council’s current budget. Buried in ‘Attachment B’ to the report is a transfer of $37 million of capital works spending to the next financial year starting in July 2009.

"Less than four weeks after the Council adopted Clover Moore’s biggest spending budget ever, the Lord Mayor and her 'Independent' Councillors are quietly sneeking major parts of projects out yet another 12 months," Shayne said.

Major projects delayed include:
Burton Street Tabernacle
Fitzroy Gardens
Foley Lane
Glebe Town Hall
Harris Street upgrade
Paddington Town Hall
Prince Alfred Park
Rushcutters Bay Park
Stanley Street upgrade

"Ratepayers should be thankful that Clover Moore fails each year to spend all their money, despite her promising to deliver in media releases and glossy newsletters (paid for by ratepayers).
"Whilst ratepayers’ money may have been protected more by luck than any management ability – Clover Moore has adopted a new budget that yet again has big spending promises and is underscored by a new, bigger, cash deficit of $295 million over the next four years.
"That’s Mercedes Clover spending the equivalent of a $180,000 top of the range Mercedes every day for four years if she gets her way and is re-elected to run the Council without any checks and balances," Shayne concluded.
RELEASE ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT
Shayne Mallard
Councillor
0439 426 274
Web: www.sydneyliberals.org.au
Link: Capital Expenditure Financial Results, City of Sydney Council Q4 2007/2008 report

Motorcycle Policy steals parking meter spaces from cars and shoppers

2008-07-20T08:03:00.000+10:00

Liberal City of Sydney Councillor Shayne Mallard has criticised as an ill conceived election media stunt the announcement of the City's draft motorcycle strategy.

Shayne Mallard who has also just launched his team and campaign as the Liberal candidate for Lord Mayor of Sydney disagreed with the abuse of ratepayers money for a media stunt.

" When the Lord Mayor is seen on the evening news riding a motor bike through the city like the BBC's Jennifer Paterson, then you know an election is not far away," he said.

Shayne criticised the sudden urgency of the policy and lack of notice given to Councillors to consider the policy before the Lord Mayor conducted a rate payer funded press conference and media ride.

Moving from the abuse of public resources for an election stunt to the substance of the policy, Shayne took issue at it's central proposal to give free parking to motorcycles in parking meter spaces.

The policy recommends free parking for motor bikes in parking meter spaces where car driving motorists including families and the elderly have to pay up to $6 cash per hour.

"In the so called name of 'equitable parking access' this administration is proposing to allow motor bikes to park for free where anyone with a car has to shell out cash."

"This is some twisted definition of equity especially given that the city has provided 600 all day free motorbike spaces in the past four years alone."

"I'm not aware of 600 all day free parking spaces in the CBD for car drivers- even those with an electric hybrid motor," Shayne added.

Councillor Mallard criticised the Council report for failing to realistically address the additional costs in lost parking revenue and parking enforcement.

"As it stands a parking ranger walks past parking bays and will fine vehicles at expired meters. Under Clover Moore's Bangkok motorcycle solution rangers will need to patrol the same parking spaces repeatedly chalking tyres like the old days. This will require more staff resources."

Shayne pointed to a more equitable solution in San Francisco (see picture taken by Shayne two weeks ago).

"When the City recently sent me to San Francisco, I observed their progressive and equitable system for motor bike parking."

"Individually numbered parking spaces for motor bikes were allocated amongst regular vehicle parking bays with meter displays for each bay. There is no need for a paper ticket at all.

'In San Francisco motor bike parking was one dollar an hour - about 20% of that for cars,"

"Considering motor bikes have unregulated exhaust emissions in Australia and produce about 70% of the greenhouse emissions per passenger kilometre when compared to cars, allowing them to take away car spaces for free seems French romantic but unsustainable," Shayne concluded.

Shayne supports other measures in the policy including education and advocacy proposals.

RELEASE ENDS
25 July 2008

Sydney Morning Herald reports 'Park in the City for free'

Litter Art

2008-07-11T08:23:00.005+10:00

Passersby in Copenhagen inspect the city's newest sculpture: a 3.5 metre cigarette butt on Gråbrødre Torv. The sculpture is just one of several placed around the city as reminders to residents not to litter.

"With the same problem in Sydney and my calls for fines to be increased to $500 for littering perhaps 'fag art' is another reminder for the smokers on our streets." Clr Shayne Mallard

No Taxation without Representation

2008-06-24T21:50:00.002+10:00

No Taxation Without Representation - call for Businesses to enrol to Vote. Sydney businesses pay around $150 million a year in rates and charges to the City of Sydney Council. This represents about 50% of the annual running costs of the Council, Councillor Shayne Mallard said today at the launch of the new website: www.SydneyBusinessVotes.org.au At the 2004 council elections, only 2000 businesses and non residents who own businesses or pay rates enrolled. The City of Sydney Council estimates that potentially 20,000 business owners and lessees may be eligible to vote in the 2008 election.'"I believe the current Lord Mayor and her party's control of the Council is set on a course to run down the city's hard-earned cash reserves by the end of her next term.
" Next week Council will adopt a budget for 2008/09 that has buried in its report an underlying cash deficit of $113 Million.
" This Council administration is continuing an orgy of spending at the rate of over $2 million of our savings each week. ($2,173,000 per week).
"At the end of this Lord Mayor's planned final term the business rate payers will be forced to pick up the credit card debt for this Council's excesses. "
"The September election is therefore vital to the future prosperity of businesses large and small in Sydney. It has taken years to build up these reserves and now, the Lord Mayor is planning to spin and spend her way back into office for her farewell term. " "I have set up a simple website to help businesses through the paperwork to vote.

The ALP State government legislated to make the process difficult for business owners by wiping the non-resident roll before each election, forcing businesses to re-enrol each time.

The applications for enrolment are available on the website and we have an e-mail help facility to answer any questions you may have. There is a link to the NSW Electoral Commission page for further information. Monday, 4 August is the deadline to enrol to vote on 13 September. "

The City of Sydney Council makes decisions every day that affect the future of business in this great city. I urge all business owners and non-resident ratepayers to get on the roll today. "
Resources: Council Corporate Plan and Budget 2008/09

Lord Mayor's double park blames the Council driver

2008-06-10T09:53:00.004+10:00

Fine with her: Clover Moore pays for chauffeur to park

The Australian - Angus Hohenboken June 10, 2008

SYDNEY'S Lord Mayor has offered to pay a parking fine on behalf of her chauffeur after he was caught parking illegally outside her house.
Footage of Clover Moore's driver double-parking outside her home over a period of several days was shown on Seven News last night.
It showed the driver leaving his locked vehicle next to cars parked at the kerb, despite the availability of parking spaces close by. Seven said neighbours reported the driver double-parked regularly.
A spokesman for the Lord Mayor said Ms Moore would discipline her driver. "The Lord Mayor has offered to pay a fine if the driver was not parked properly and has asked him to ensure it does not happen again," the spokesman said.
The City of Sydney Council used undercover rangers last year to catch and fine parents for parking illegally when dropping their children at school.
The revelations come after NSW Education Minister John Della Bosca was last month caught for speeding for the seventh time in just over a year, causing him to lose his driving licence.
City of Sydney councillor Shayne Mallard said politicians and councillors needed to set better examples on the road.
Mr Mallard said he was disappointed that Ms Moore was blaming the driver.
"They are public servants and by and large they follow instructions," he said.
"The bigger issue is the hypocrisy. The Lord Mayor's administration makes a lot of profit out of parking fines in this city; one would think they would adhere to their own rules and laws in regards to the council's own vehicles. The Lord Mayor should know the rules."

View Channel 7 story here.

Lord Mayor's driver facing fine

Profile of an inner-city Liberal

2008-06-09T10:15:00.002+10:00

The South Sydney Herald profile -

Liberal Councillor Shayne Mallard likes staying as close as he can to the community reports Simon Nichols in the December 2007 edition of the South Sydney Herald.
“No, I don’t have any Federal Government ambitions,” Mallard tells me. “I am more interested in health, education and community service. I have always preferred the bread- and-butter issues, even though they are often considered the un-sexy areas of politics.” Sharing a coffee with him near the fountain in Kings Cross, you can tell that Mallard feels comfortable out on the street with the local residents. “I come from a small farm community, with just one church and just one school. I guess that instilled in me the notion of communities empowering each other and doing it for themselves. In those small towns you meet people and there is a real sense of cyclical responsibility; a hand up, not a hand out.”
Mallard brought that ethic to Sydney, joining the Young Liberals and becoming State President in 1993. Previous Liberal State presidents include Joe Hockey and Philip Ruddock. He was involved with the Fight Back John Hewson Campaign, worked closely with Peter Debnam and currently is a key confidante of Malcolm Fraser (Shayne adds later - this should be Malcolm Turnbull!).
“I love Sydney and I want to create a greater sense of ownership amongst the residents, similar to what happened during the Olympics. We have a real mix of people here. I want to highlight what we have and why we are so special. I would love to deck out some big buses with audiovisual equipment and get tours conducted all around Sydney. The buses would not just go to the major tourist spots but through the suburbs of Newtown and Ultimo. I am also a cycling fanatic and I have a dream to make all parking underground in the Kings Cross area and then widen the footpaths for cyclists and pedestrians.”
On his website, Mallard describes himself as a progressive Liberal. He is conservative in terms of finance and welfare but he feels he is progressive in the areas of social issues like discrimination, women, refugees and same-sex couples. He also maintains a facebook and a blog to keep up with the information super-highway – to “keep a finger on the pulse.”
So why did Mallard get involved in politics? Quite simply, “I love helping solve problems for people. That is why it motivates me as a vocation.” Mallard muses when I ask him what he doesn’t like. “The personal attacks, but unfortunately that comes with the territory.”
Source: South Sydney Herald www.southsydneyherald.com.au/

ALP Leaderless for Sydney City Council Election

2008-06-03T11:13:00.001+10:00

Endorsed Labor candidate for Sydney Lord Mayor, Councillor Tony Pooley announced today that he would no longer lead the ALP ticket for the Council elections in September.
Councillor Pooley said that he was stepping down because of ' work issues ', but it is more likely that he does not want to spend another four years on the margins of power in a Clover Moore party dominated Council.
Liberal Councillor Shayne Mallard said that the 11th hour withdrawal of the former Labor Mayor raised several important questions;
"Did Tony see confidential Sussex Street polling that showed a landslide victory for Clover Moore at the election?
"Did Tony realise that his bid for the Lord Mayoralty was doomed from the start?" Shayne said.
"Tony must have seen that Clover Moore was going to trounce the ALP following the endless scandals and failures of Labor in Macquarie Street. Everyone knows that the ALP has that
unpleasant, decaying smell about it nowadays.
"Labor may now turn to retired upper house politician, Dr Meredith Bergman to lead an already defeated team to the polls. It seems that Labor are throwing in the towel before the first round. They have given up the fight before it has even begun.
Shayne who has been a Councillor alongside Tony Pooley for the past 8 years acknowledges the contribution that Tony has made.
"I would like to put on record my appreciation of Councillor Pooley's service to the local community on the City of Sydney Council and prior service on the South Sydney Council as mayor. Tony has been a dedicated local representative who has worked very effectively on behalf of residents. It is a shame that we will lose his experience after September.
"As leader of the Liberal team for this September's Council elections, I can assure all voters that the Liberal Party will not be throwing in the towel. We believe that Clover Moore's party must be held to public account by having a balance on the Council.
"The out-of-control spending and massive misuse of ratepayer money to promote Clover Moore's picture and words on everything the Council publishes must stop. Ratepayers deserve a City Council that represents all community views -- residents, businesses and leaseholders.
"Council needs to ensure that its basic services are its highest priority. It must ensure that the cash reserves are not eaten away by irresponsible and unaccountable spending. It must keep costs down and rates affordable.
"We offer the voters a real choice in September. And while it may be true that the ALP secret polling shows Clover Moore will be easily re-elected as Lord Mayor, we believe that voters will want balanced representation on the next council," Councillor Shayne Mallard concluded.

Daily Telegraph reports 'Clover Moore tipped to win against Meredith Bergman'

Shayne Mallard secures $50,000 donation for the Red Shield Appeal

2008-05-26T17:58:00.000+10:00

City of Sydney Councillor Shayne Mallard has convinced the Council to support his motion and donate $50,000 to the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal. During today's Extraordinary Council meeting called to approve the Lord Mayor's proposed $100,000 for the Chinese Earthquake victims, Councillor Mallard alerted his colleagues of the pressing needs here in our own City.

"Each night as I walk through the City I see homeless people bedding down on park benches and in doorways huddling under thin blankets trying to ward off the winter cold. Shayne told the Council.

"I agree with the donation of $100,000 to China but we must not lose sight of the dire needs here at home as well.

"It's a disgrace that a city as wealthy as Sydney leaves vulnerable people such as the young, homeless and abused to live off the streets.

"No one should have to beg and no one should be living on the streets in this City and we need to be doing much more about it.

Councillor Mallard alerted the Council to the problems of donation fatigue and the donation vacuum that follows big appeals such as the Chinese earthquake and recent Tsunami appeals.

"The Salvo's reported raising $50,000 from the City of Sydney residents in the Red Shield Appeal yesterday. The City's donation now matches the generosity of our residents and businesses dollar for dollar.

"What better way to say thank you to the generous people including the many thousands of volunteers out there collecting for the Salvos.

"I am sure the people of Sydney support the work of the Salvation Army. The Salvos target for 2008 is to raise $68 million nationally. It is a big number and it just goes to show the extent of the work that the Salvation Army does to help the most disadvantaged in our community."

Councillor Mallard's successful Amendment reads:
(iv) that in recognition of the important work done by the Salvation Army in the City of Sydney and to support and add value to our residents, ratepayers and visitors the City of Sydney match dollar for dollar to a maximum of $50,000 for the Red Shield appeal.

Mallard to call for $50,000 donation to Salvation Army for Red Shield Appeal

2008-05-25T13:16:00.004+10:00

"Thank God for the Salvos. We must never lose sight that every night, without fanfare, organisations like the Salvation Army find shelter and sustenance for Sydney's growing number of homeless men and women," Councillor Shayne Mallard said today.

"As winter approaches and nights become colder, it is a stark reminder of how hard life has become for those without a home. The Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal this weekend aims to raise money to help Sydney's homeless and I would encourage everyone to give generously to this very worthy cause.

"People in Sydney ask me, almost on a daily basis, why there are so many homeless people sleeping in doorways and on park benches every night when we are such a wealthy city. There is of course no simple answer, but there is no doubt that we need to do more to tackle the problem of homelessness in our city.

Councillor Mallard announced today that at the extraordinary meeting of Council on Monday, which has been called by the Lord Mayor to approve her suggested $100,000 donation to the Chinese earthquake appeal, he will be calling on Council to also support a donation of up to $50,000 to the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal.

"I will asking the Council to match dollar for dollar the generosity of our residents, small businesses and ratepayers up to maximum of $50,000.

"Whilst I support the $100,000 donation to the Chinese earthquake appeal I fear that international pleas for help distract us from the very real needs in our own backyard. That is why I want Council to back the generosity of our residents by matching their donations to the Red Shield Appeal to help the needy of Sydney.

"The Salvation Army does a fantastic job on the ground in the City of Sydney on behalf of the residents and ratepayers and I think we ought to recognize their work with a substantial donation. Many people would have seen the ABC TV documentary, The Oasis, that gave us an insight into the daily struggle that confronts people at the margins of society and the compassionate but practical way the Salvos meet these immense challenges.

"I am sure the people of Sydney will support a substantial contribution to the Salvation Army. The Salvos target for 2008 is to raise $68 million nationally. It is a big number and it just goes to show the extent of the work that the Salvation Army does to help the most disadvantaged in our community."

Support the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal here.

Listen to the 2GB interview on Redfern Park children's playground 'We murdered the people.." artwork.

2008-05-09T00:30:00.002+10:00

Listen to the interview here ...

Keating quote in Children's playground - political Correctness gone mad

2008-05-08T07:33:00.004+10:00

MEDIA RELEASE

Keating quote in Children's playground - political Correctness gone mad

City of Sydney Councillor Shayne Mallard has spoken out publicly against the decision of the City Council to incorporate a quote by former Prime Minister Paul Keating in a new children's playground.

The extract taken from Paul Keating's 1992 Redfern Park speech prominently includes the following lines;

"We took the traditional lands and smashed the traditional way of life.

We brought the diseases. The alcohol.

We committed the murders.

We took the children from their mothers.

We practised discrimination and exclusion."

Shayne Mallard said that the inclusion of the extract was out of context and would not advance reconciliation in the Redfern area.

"Keating's quote belongs in the history books and not in a children's playground," he said.

"Any parent coming to this playground whether white or Aboriginal will feel anger and shame when confronted by this message,"

"If or when children understand the words they will be frightened by the violent language and images."

"What happened to the age of innocence for our children?"

Shayne said that his concerns are not about the former Prime Minister's speech but the out of context extract and its suitability for a children's playground.

"The speech has a place in history and even elsewhere in Redfern Park,"

"This is the political correctness we have come to expect from this big spending, big brother, left wing controlled Council," Shayne added.

The work by artist Fiona Foley incorporates the extract of the speech as engraved paving as well as a cross shaped water feature and over sized steel lotus flowers and is part of the $30 million Redfern Park upgrade. When finished later this year the park will return as the spiritual home of the South Sydney Rabbitohs as their new training grounds.

RELEASE ENDS
7 May 2008

Channel 7 News reports here 'Quote too controversial for park.'

The Australian reports:

Liberal lashes nod to Keating

Ashleigh Wilson May 08, 2008

A SYDNEY councillor has criticised a playground sculpture for featuring an extract from Paul Keating's Redfern speech, claiming the words were a "real guilt trip" to non-indigenous Australians who had already apologised to the Stolen Generations.
Shayne Mallard, a Liberal member of the Sydney City Council, last night said the former prime minister's message was inappropriate for a children's playground.
"This is political correctness going mad when you put this in the playground," Mr Mallard said.
"What happened to the age of innocence?"
But Mr Mallard was ridiculed last night by Mr Keating's former speechwriter Don Watson, who said: "The truth never hurt anybody - including children.
"And for that matter, I don't remember children being damaged by inscriptions on public memorials."
The sculpture, by indigenous artist Fiona Foley, includes several lines from Mr Keating's acclaimed speech in the Sydney suburb of Redfern in 1992.
In the speech, he referred to the past injustice towards Aborigines in Australia, saying non-indigenous people had to recognise it was "we who did the dispossessing".
The sculpture, expected to be finished this year as part of the council's upgrade of Redfern Park, features some of Mr Keating's words: "We took the traditional lands and smashed the traditional way of life."
"We brought the diseases, the alcohol," the inscription continues. "We committed the murders. We took the children from their mothers."
Mr Mallard said the council approved the sculpture last week. He claimed he was not attacking Mr Keating's "great" speech, but said the council should find a way to commemorate the words in a different location.
"I don't see how young indigenous Australians going there will have a positive disposition towards white Australians," he said.
"We all commemorated and said sorry earlier this year, but this means everyone who goes there to play must say sorry every time because it's a real guilt trip.
"Every time an Aboriginal person or a white Australian goes there, they're going to be reminded of this. It's out of context ... I don't see this as part of the process of moving forward."
Mr Keating could not be contacted for comment last night.

Pooley's faustian deal with the ALP Right's money men

2008-05-06T07:36:00.004+10:00

In the midst of all the electricity privatisation blood letting and bad manners at the ALP's State Conference there was some political knife wielding in the City of Sydney's corner as current ALP Councilor Tony Pooley convincingly dispatched Labor's left wing Lord Mayoral aspirant and former MP Dr Meredith Burgmann.

In today's SMH a victorious Pooley proclaims he will not take donations from developers or the hotel industry... but by gaining the support of the discredited Right wing Sussex Street machine to defeat the ALP Left, Pooley has already made his faustian deal with the money men and unions of Sussex Street that the Right will no doubt call in.

When is the Clover Moore party preselection?

As Tony Pooley (ALP), Chris Harris (Greens) and I traverse our respective public party processes for preselection and endorsement to run as Lord Mayoral candidates - observers wonder what preselection processes the Clover Moore Party (yes it is now a registered political party and brand name) is undertaking. In Council last year the Lord Mayor promised to provide a copy of her new political party's constitution (as required by the Act) but we are still waiting. Word has it that all Moore Councillors have been re-endorsed to run again under the Moore Party banner. eCouncillor must have missed the Moore party advertisements, missed the party conference and missed the rank and file ballots around the Moore household kitchen table.

Deputy mayor fends off rival for top job

Jano Gibson and Sunanda Creagh May 6, 2008

THE field of hopefuls for Sydney's top job has narrowed after one of the most prominent contenders, Meredith Burgmann, failed to win Labor Party support for her run at the lord mayorship.
Labor's difficult task of toppling the Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, in September's local government elections has instead been given to the Deputy Lord Mayor, Tony Pooley.
Cr Pooley, a former mayor of South Sydney, defeated the former NSW Upper House president in a vote at last weekend's ALP state conference.
Dr Burgmann, from Labor's Left faction, said she had expected to lose after Cr Pooley, who does not belong to either faction, received endorsement from the Right several weeks ago.
She said she stayed in the race to highlight her concerns about Cr Moore being the Lord Mayor and the Member for Sydney at the same time. "I wanted to make a point about Clover's arrogance about thinking Lord Mayor of Sydney was a part-time job."
Defeating Cr Moore would be a "tough battle", said Dr Burgmann, who is now considering running as a candidate for Labor councillor.
"Clover has the advantage of incumbency and the huge multimedia machine that cranks out material with her face on it once a week," she said. "[And] at the moment the State Government is pretty unpopular and that will count against us too."
Cr Pooley said he was pleased with the result.
"It was a hard slog; it's a lot of delegates to contact. I went across the board and spoke to every major union secretary from across both factions. I contacted everyone I could, regardless of whether they were Left or Right.
"Of course, 333 of them did support Meredith but I think [I won support because] I have had eight years of involvement in local government."
He promised not to take donations from developers or the hotel industry to fund his bid. "However, I do have two friends who manage pubs who I will be inviting to a fund-raiser as friends," he said. He refused to name the pubs.
He said he would have preferred the preselection to have been made through a ballot of rank-and-file branches, but suggested the outcome would be the same regardless.
Councillors Chris Harris (Greens) and Shayne Mallard (Liberal) have said they are also keen to run for the top job.

Affordable Housing keeps Sydney competitive but at what cost?

2008-04-29T13:32:00.002+10:00

City of Sydney Councillor Shayne Mallard has spoken out in support of the proposal to create up to 700 new dwellings as part of the City's affordable housing commitment but has questioned the secrecy in the planning and raised concerns about the high concentrations of affordable housing in the inner west.

" Today's announcement will help provide much needed housing for lower wage earners in the inner city and help keep Sydney competitive with the diverse labour force needed to be globally competitive", Shayne said.

"The addition of another large development of affordable housing in Glebe adds to the high concentrations of existing affordable housing and large estates of public housing in the area where police and other government agencies struggle to maintain order and deliver effective services."

"Concentrating more affordable and social housing in the inner west will only increase community concerns about creating ghettos of social and economic disadvantage."

"Council is currently asking the Department of Housing to provide private security guards to patrol the housing estates in Glebe. How does that sit with this announcement?"

"Why not consider breaking up the concentrations with opportunities in the Greensquare, Broadway brewery site and newer developing areas? This could involve innovative development solutions such as land swaps and rezoning bonuses for affordable housing provision in new developments?"

Shayne is also opposed to Council being the affordable housing landlord.
"Council must not take on the huge responsibility of becoming the affordable housing landlord. Most councils have failed to deliver equity and transparency in this area in the past with issues of nepotism and favours for mates under previous cheap rent deals."

Councillor Mallard also questioned the financial secrecy and lack of accountability surrounding today's announcement.
"Increasingly the City of Sydney has reverted to the dark management arts of Frank Sartor's day."

"Councillors were in a full day of briefings yesterday including a budget session and yet nothing was mentioned about this announcement and Councillors were not consulted."

"Keeping secret from elected Councillors a $260 M project including the provision of $30 M worth of ratepayer's land is not a good demonstration of open and accountable government,"

"Informing elected Councillors by media release smacks of election spin ahead of meaningful engagement with an elected representative body." Shayne concluded.

Council's announcement today here: http://www.sydneymedia.com.au/html/3596-new-partnership-to-boost-affordable-housing.asp

Dog-gone debate at Council

2008-04-04T11:35:00.004+11:00

Clover Moore's proposal to make 44 parks in the City of Sydney including Hyde Park, Cook and Phillip, Rushcutters Bay, Bear and Macleay Park in the most densely populated areas of the City's east 24 hours off leash have been met with howls of protest from residents and particularly young mothers. In quite emotional scenes at last Monday's mid afternoon committee community members spoke strongly of their concerns about protecting their children from a dog attack or even unwarranted attention by an off leash canine. As I said at the Committee this issue is not about dog lovers versus dog haters as some have tried to simplistically portray it. I'm a dog lover having owned many dogs in my life including a rather robust single minded Great Dane called Bowen (sadly gone to that great off leash park in the sky now). But having a well trained but determined dog or two reinforces my concerns for parents with young children. After supporting a deferral for more information on this proposal and reflection I now do not think that Council can introduce such a startling and radical change in a 'big bang'. But rather we need to much more carefully asses each park and open space. There should be some space for dogs off leash 24/7. But they must be either larger regional parks (like Sydney Park) where say 50% can off leash 24/7 or specially constructed large off leash enclosures such as in New York and Copenhagen. These are ideal especially for smaller inner city dogs. The balance should remain on leash from 8am (to allow humans exercising not to be assailed by canines) to just before sunset (say 5pm).

The Daily Telegraph covered this issue today (see below and links).

Clover puts your children on a leash

By Justin Vallejo, Urban Affiars Reporter
April 04, 2008 12:00am

CHILDREN'S playgrounds will be fenced off inside parks to give unleashed dogs free rein over the city's green open spaces.
Up to 10 popular city playgrounds will be penned in under a City of Sydney Council plan to hand over 44 parks to unrestrained canines. Instead of creating fenced off-leash areas as in other cities worldwide, families will be the ones corralled - for their own safety.
The move has sparked calls from Australia's peak veterinary body for all NSW councils to follow Sydney's lead and provide more places where dogs can be exercised.
"These days dogs are treated something akin to a member of the family by their owners, yet there seem to be greater restrictions than ever on where families can take their pet," Australian Veterinary Association president Diane Sheehan said.
A public debate between dog owners, parents and councillors this week erupted over Sydney City Council officers' rejection of calls to create fenced areas for dogs in favour of fencing off children.
Justifying its decision, the council report said its approach to off-leash areas was "to integrate recreational activities rather than segregate activities into separate areas".
But in the same breath it proposed to segregate children from dogs by fencing off playgrounds in Beare, Foley, Jubilee, Perry, Prince Alfred, Rushcutters Bay, Waterloo and Wentworth parks and Bannerman Crescent and Kimberley Grove reserves.
"This would have to be the most biased report I've ever seen in my four years as a councillor," Councillor Chris Harris said.
"I have no confidence in supporting the assumptions in this report."
The City of Sydney has proposed to turn 44 parks into off-leash areas 24 hours a day, incorporating 18 parks that are currently off-leash from 6pm to 8pm.
It would take the number of off-leash parks to 13 per cent of the city's 350 parks, up from 6 per cent.
But the land would be 55 per cent of the total land area, with the lion's share of the biggest and most popular parks going to the dogs.
Council staff dropped Paradise Park in Ultimo from the off-leash list after receiving a petition signed by 130 angry residents.
Seventy-three per cent of the 1527 public submissions backed the proposal.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore, both a dog owner and a parent, gave the plan support before the public debate, saying "exercising dogs is important to reduce animal boredom, which can reduce behavioural problems such as nuisance barking".
After fierce opposition at the public meeting her stance was more cautious and she said they had a challenge to balance everyone's concerns before the plan went to council next Monday for consideration.
"The pendulum in the past has swung against dog owners and we are trying to restore that balance. The fences are not to keep the child in, but to create a safe environment for parents and their children," she said.
There are currently only three city parks that are off-leash at all times: Edmund Resch Reserve at Redfern, Joynton Park at Zetland and Embarkation Park at Potts Point.
Mark Callan, walking his dog Molly on-leash past Waratah Playground, said council priorities were wrong.
"I think off-leash areas are great for the dogs but I understand parents' concerns that they would be the ones caged in, rather than the animals," he said.
"Which is more important, the dogs or the children? I would have thought the kids would be the priority."

More info on dogs off leash here at City of Sydney web site.

Spin Sustainable Sydney 2030 for Council elections?

2008-04-02T10:23:00.004+11:00

Giving the latest fairy floss just one more spin

Elizabeth Farrelly

April 2, 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

In fourth class they're writing a speech: "The Power of Words. Discuss." My heart leaps. Words are what I love. Not only is the pen mightier than the sword. Not only do words mend and break hearts, bend and fracture history, shape and steal souls. Not only are they the utensils of choice for popes and tyrants, poets and presidents, lovers and assorted glorious madmen; for Caesar and Shakespeare, Luther and Luther King, Lincoln, Churchill and Obama. Words delight, transport and transcend. Words quicken our noble core. They are the angel part of us, our rope ladder to god. Pictures? Sure, pictures are dandy, but a word - I propose while peeling spuds - is worth a thousand of them. It's a bold claim, possibly over-bold, but you get the point. For me, words are kind of it.
Which is why word abuse fills me with a wild, helpless fury. I don't mean bad grammar. It'd hardly pay to spill milk over grammar these days. I can overlook misrelated participles and split infinitives, even in people paid to know better. I can tolerate "however" used for "but" or "which" for "that". Or sentences that start with conjunctions or end with prepositions. All that I'm fine with. In fact, I like it; breaking the grammar rules still has the tang of naughtiness for me.
So what does qualify as word abuse? What is it that sucks the life from language, dulling its glossy coat and tossing its corpse onto the stinking heap of despair? Bullshit, in a word. The deliberate use of language not to approach reality but to hide it.
This, be it corporate bullshit or art-world bullshit or political bullshit, is all the same. It's small talk in the airless front room of our lives, polite morning teas with the vicar, breakfast meetings with power couples, motivational speakers flanked by pomp and flowers at polished wood daises, euphemism of all kinds. It's also false promises.
Like Clover's "new" 2030 vision for Sydney. And yes, I venture into this territory in full, trembling knowledge that Australia does not like a naysayer. That "visions" are as much the flavour of the moment as they were in St Catherine's time, that as much time and considerably more money has gone into this particular rainbow fantasy as into Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments, and that popping or even grounding the pretty bubble may make baby cry.
So be it. There are things baby should know. It's not that the ideas are bad; many of them are fine. To have St Mark's Square at Circular Quay would be brilliant. (Although the proposal looked more like a piece of communist East-Berlin-on-Sea and, in any case, I have my doubts about removing "Joe's Road", which offers one of the finest driving experiences in the country and perhaps the best railway station in the world.)

Healing the wound behind Central Station, building over the tracks to reconnect the street-grid and giving Prince Alfred Park its rightful generosity of spirit is a good and obvious move. To redirect the Western Distributor underground, ensure no house is more than three minutes' walk from serious parkland, ban cars, focus on bikes and add great luxurious dollops of fast, clean, efficient public transport. All good.
It's not even that they're not new. Just because the same ideas, tree for tree and tunnel for tunnel, bulked up former lord mayor Frank Sartor's Living City Vision in 2000, his Living City Vision in 1992, former lord mayor Jeremy Bingham's 2020 Vision in 1990, former lord mayor Leo Port's Civic Reform vision in 1971 (and a few others in between) doesn't make them bad ideas. On the contrary, it shows these ideas have stood the test of time.
It may make you spit that hundreds of thousands of your rates are lavished on each regurgitation, paying consultants who almost certainly know more than their political masters about how long a gap is needed between iterations of an idea, in order not to be caught. Then again, spent or otherwise, it's not like your rates are coming back to you, right?
No, the real reason you should get mad about this many-splendoured fairy floss is that, unlike the stuff at the Easter Show, it doesn't just melt on your tongue and disappear in a fleeting feelgood moment. The 2030 vision will melt and disappear, yes. Mainly because - except for the dozen or so cycle paths already built - the entire exercise sits well outside Sydney council control, in some cases even outside state control, and with the bill in the billions (half a billion for the Cahill alone), who's going cough up for squares rather than hospitals?
Yes, the fairy floss is designed to disappear, all right. Just not immediately. Not, in fact, until after September 13, which is - oh my fur and whiskers, so soon? - election day. Meanwhile, for all those believers in the pretty stories of cultural ribbons and car bans, planet earth and I have a one-word answer. Spin!

Read more on Sustainable Sydney 2030 - SMH multi media report here

And Council's glossy web site on 2030 here: http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/2030/

The Draft Summary document for 2030 will be debated at Council on Monday night - eCouncillor will have a few more objective things to say in the coming days.

Nick Greiner's way forward for the Liberal party

2008-03-19T08:03:00.004+11:00

eCouncillor attended the dinner celebrating the 20th anniversary of the election of the Greiner government last Friday night and witnessed the former premier deliver a magnificent and historical speech on the state of the Liberal party today and the way forward. Part of that speech published in the SMH on Saturday is reproduced below. I fully support Nick's thesis that the nature of politics in the community has permanently changed. It has been emerging for two decades that the community no longer identifies with the great ideological struggles of left versus right. A giant middle ground of Australians now seek a synthesis of ideas, aspirations and understanding from political parties - and the Liberal party with its traditional base of conservatives and liberals is in a position to meet that new era politics - if it reforms around Australia.

Time to stir up the wooden spoon state

Nick GreinerMarch 15, 2008

NSW is a national laughing stock. In the 1980s it was corruption that made NSW a laughing stock. This decade the state is a national laughing stock for everything. NSW is in the political and bureaucratic wilderness in terms of talent. The state deserves a wooden spoon for, among other things, economic performance, infrastructure, health and planning.

If the Liberals are to win government at the next NSW election, the changes must start at home. We need to change the dysfunctional organisational structure of the party as a first step to changing behaviour, to enable the kind of positive decisions that win elections. We must become a genuine broad church able to take the middle ground of politics.
There is some denial regarding the performance of the Liberals in NSW. The party has faced a Labor Government that has gone from fair, to poor, to simply hopeless - the worst ever. The Government has failed on integrity and effectiveness. Despite this incompetence, the Liberals have won just two seats from Labor in 17 years. We have dismally failed the test described by Bob Hawke: if you can't govern yourselves, you can't govern the state.

We will not deserve, nor receive, electoral support if we are not able to demonstrate that we are a party of balance and moderation, interested in the public interest, not sectional interests.
I commend efforts of the state leader, Barry O'Farrell, and the state president, Geoff Selig, to move decisively to an inclusive way forward. The Liberal Party should be the natural home for both social conservatives and progressives. This is not the United States. A narrow focus on wedge issues is no basis for success, especially sustained success.

We must review our relevance to today's community. We must consider explicitly the appeal of our message to young people and people from a non-English-speaking background. We must re-establish our links with both.

As our society becomes "more single, more childless, more secular, more non-white, more immigrant", as David Frum wrote of the US in his book Comeback: Conservatism That Can Win Again, we must not allow our opponents to be the natural beneficiaries.

Rudd's capacity to effectively maintain all Labor's traditional constituencies while broadening his appeal to the Howard base is a textbook example of politics in the 21st century.
Of course we should argue for distinctive Liberal positions such as flexible labour markets, privatisation, tax reform and so on.

We need to retain our traditional strengths in economic management, state development, security and family values. But let us move with the centre of the body politic on the softer issues, not insult that centre by denying the relevance of its warm and green concerns. Compassion and concern for the planet are fundamental aspects of the national psyche. We must acknowledge the power of symbolism and emotion. There is nothing in Liberalism, in competition, in self-reliance that is inconsistent with innovative and effective Liberal ideas on the environment and on the wellbeing of the less fortunate in society.

The future lies in coalition building, not going it alone. We must learn to work better with independents and minor parties across the political spectrum. Around Australia we are being outplayed by the ALP in this crucial space. There is much fertile ground in universities, business, industry associations and community groups for us to engage - our focus should be out into the community, not inwards on ourselves.
As for the question of factions, the problem for the NSW Liberals is not the presence of factions but our inability to manage them in the cause of the party's overall success. Our key problem is that the winning faction takes all. Whichever side has the ascendancy takes all the positions and endeavours to assert all the influence as opposed to sharing between the factions.

It is easy to believe that a drover's dog would beat Labor in 2011. That would be foolish. NSW Labor on its merits deserved to lose in 2003 and to be annihilated in 2007 - neither happened and we are to blame.
The old truism about how "governments lose, oppositions don't win" no longer applies. The evidence of successive wins by incompetent failed governments in Queensland and NSW in particular is the proof. Making the case for change is obviously crucial. Demonstrating our own capacity to be trusted is equally so.

Let us not be frightened of change, of vision, of new directions. Equally, let us not be afraid to agree with Labor when it gets it right. NSW Labor has no capacity to govern, no ability to govern. It simply wants to be in government and enjoy the spoils of office. We must be more than a pale shadow, more than just "not Labor".

Finally, we must be ready to be competent managers of the bureaucracy and "pro-good government". To quote Newt Gingrich, we cannot win over time as the permanently angry anti-government party because it does not appeal to most voters.
When we last won government from Labor 20 years ago, we faced a government reflecting its age and loss of talent. But equally, we were a united Coalition with stable, well-established leadership appealing to a broad cross-section of the community, with a clear focus on winning and a clear set of directions. People knew in a general sense what sort of government they were getting and its key aspirations for reform, or to use our slogan, "change for the better".
The Coalition has a wonderful opportunity to win in 2011, to learn from both the successes and failures of the Greiner and Fahey governments, to acknowledge the reasons for the dismal efforts of the last three election cycles and carve out a new relevant coalition for good government for all the people of NSW.

Nick Greiner was the Liberal premier of NSW from 1988 to 1992. This is an adaption of a speech delivered last night at a dinner to mark the 20-year anniversary of his government.

Labor V Labor: Left V Left

2008-03-13T16:00:00.003+11:00

More heat from the hard Left over Town Hall spoils. Today's SMH...

Candidates step up for city's top job

Wendy Frew Urban Affairs EditorMarch 13, 2008
THE former NSW upper house president Meredith Burgmann's tilt at Town Hall's top job has met its first hurdle, with her Labor Party colleague and former mayor of South Sydney Tony Pooley also considering running for lord mayor of Sydney. The two ALP members, who between them have years of state and local government experience, are both courting preselection support before Labor's NSW conference on the first weekend in May, to challenge the incumbent, Clover Moore.
"I am very seriously considering putting my hat in the ring for the mayor's job," said
Cr Pooley, who is the City of Sydney's Deputy Mayor. He said his focus had been squarely on the local area for many years compared with Dr Burgmann's statewide view. Both played down potential damage to their campaigns by the Wollongong
council scandal and the problem-plagued State Government.
Dr Burgmann said she was probably the least likely person to be tainted by developer donations because of her long history of opposing inappropriate development in parts of the city, such as Kings Cross.
"My early political activity was all about opposing development in the Cross, I was involved in the Green Bans … I have been the person in the party fighting against [developer donations]," she said, adding that she would not accept developer donations that were funnelled to her campaign from Labor's head office.
In 2006-07, the NSW branch of the Labor Party accepted $8 million in donations and nearly $3 million of that was from developers and hoteliers, said the Sydney councillor and Greens member Chris Harris, who will also run for the mayor's job.
"Therefore, accepting money from Labor headquarters would put Ms Burgmann in a position where she is accepting developer donations and inducements from the hotel industry, something that she says that she abhors," he said.
"If Ms Burgmann was successful in her campaign for the lord mayoral role, corporate donors would be beating a path to her door expecting the kind of access that only money can buy. We have seen this from what happened in Wollongong."
Cr Pooley said he had never accepted development donations in the two campaigns he had been involved in but acknowledged the ALP state campaign accepted donations from developers.
"You have to raise money so let's understand what we recognise as donations … less is better," he said.
"Should I run, should I be selected as a candidate, it will be a grassroots campaign."
The ALP councillors Michael Lee and Verity Firth (Ms Firth is also the state's Environment Minister) are not expected to stand again. Cr Moore, who now heads a registered political party of independents, will run for the mayor's job again in September, as will Liberal councillor Shayne Mallard.
In 2004, 14 people put their hands up for Town Hall's top job. So far this year there are six contenders, including the former Sydney Theatre Company and Australia Council chief Michael Lynch. Mr Lynch masterminded the revitalisation of Southbank Centre, one of London's top art and music venues. His 10-point plan for Sydney included increasing the lord mayor's patch to include areas such as Bondi, and giving the council more control over public and private transport.

September elections Heating Up on the Left

2008-03-12T08:10:00.003+11:00

The September 13Council elections are starting to warm up as the various political parties test their candidates. Over on the extreme left Meredith Bergmann the extreme left wing ALP trade union backed retired MLC has set her ambitions on Town Hall and unseating equally left wing Clover Moore. Moore confirming today that she is recontesting the Lord Mayoralty for her registered 'Independent' political party. That leaves plenty of space for mainstream centrist candidates and Councillor tickets seeking some balance at Town Hall.

From today's Australian and check out ABC702 this morning.

Sydney's battle of female warriors

Imre
Salusinszky, NSW political reporter March 12, 2008
TWO of Sydney's most formidable women are heading for a showdown, with Meredith Burgmann set to challenge Clover Moore for the role of the city's lord mayor.
Dr Burgmann, a former state Labor MP and NSW upper house president, confirmed yesterday she was on the verge of throwing down the gauntlet to Ms Moore.
"I'll have to make up my mind in the next month or so, and if I did run it would be because I am still very angry that Clover Moore thinks it's a part-time job," Dr Burgmann, who retired from parliament last year, told The Australian.
Along with holding the mayoral position since 2004, Ms Moore, an independent MP, has represented the inner-city electorate of Sydney in state parliament since 1988.
Ms Moore, who has previously been guarded about her intentions, confirmed yesterday she would seek a second term as head of Australia's third-largest municipality when the election is held on September 13.
Labor, which has not had a lord mayor since the 1980s, will select its candidate at its NSW conference during the first weekend in May.
A battle between Ms Moore, 62, and Dr Burgmann, 60, would make for one of the most gripping municipal contests in memory. The two women, both forceful, are not on good terms.
With her signature black choker and spiky hair, Ms Moore is an icon in the gay community - which constitutes a powerful voting bloc in inner Sydney - and has had a float devoted to her at the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. But Labor's Dr Burgmann is equally an icon of the inner-city Left. She is better credentialled as a feminist than Ms Moore, and is the guiding spirit behind the annual Ernie Awards, which recognise outstanding examples of sexism in the media.
Yesterday, Dr Burgmann revealed a potential electoral wedge against her opponent.
"If you actually look at the voting, it's quite clear the more socially disadvantaged areas just don't vote for her," Dr Burgmann said.
"The traditional Labor areas still vote very strongly for us. "Our really strong vote is in the housing commission areas and around Redfern and that whole south Sydney area." Dr Burgmann has long argued there is a conflict between Ms Moore's twin roles as an MP and Lord Mayor. "If she's special pleading for the one-third of the City of Sydney, which she also represents as an MP, then the other two-thirds have got to feel left out - and that's a conflict of interest," she said. Though ridiculed for such foibles as her affection for Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, Dr Burgmann was widely regarded as a successful leader of the Legislative Council.
Ms Moore's term in charge of the City of Sydney Council has been tumultuous. While the three Labor, one Liberal and one Green councillor have frequently united against her, she has been able to rely on the support of the four independents.
Dr Burgmann said she would consult her "Left comrades" before making a final decision.

Sorry Day

2008-02-13T13:34:00.004+11:00

Today is an important day for all Australians but especially our indigenous fellow Australians. Watching the historic and long overdue proceedings in our Federal parliament bought forth mixed emotions of humility and pride in our democratic institutions and political leaders. As a proud sixth generation 1st fleeter, a son of a white Australian forcibly removed from his father's care in the 1950's and the proud uncle of an aboriginal neice, I hope that today will mark the binding together of all Australians for a better common future.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore's brief speech at Redfern today is worthy of the City of Sydney.

Lord Mayor speech - Sorry Day at Redfern
13 February 2008

APOLOGY TO STOLEN GENERATIONS

13 February 2008, 9amRedfern Community Centre
Hello, everyone. It's with special emotion today that I offer the customary recognition of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, the traditional custodians of this land.
Because today, we have reached a turning point in the Australian story.
For the first time as a nation, we have formally acknowledged the wrongs that were done - to the Gadigal people and to the other indigenous nations, the wrongs that were done to their children and children's children.
For the first time as a nation, we have had the courage to acknowledge our past. We have stopped telling ourselves the comfortable lie. We have acknowledged the privilege that we have in living in this remarkable country.
And in the words of Lowitja O'Donoghue, we have begun to ask ourselves: "What was the cost of this privilege? And who paid the price?"
Father Ted Kennedy knew the answer to those questions. The nuns who carry on his work in Redfern know it, too. Naomi Mayers and the staff at the Aboriginal Medical Service see the answer every day as they care for the sick, the wounded, and those who die too young from alcohol or drugs.
In our hearts, we know the cost, whether it's in child-abuse and petrol sniffing in remote communities, or drugs and alcoholism and fractured families here on the streets of Redfern.
Parliament House in Canberra is a long way from the streets of Redfern. But the apology that has been made there this morning must resonate here, and not just in our hearts and minds.
It must result in practical actions to ensure that past wrongs are righted, and that indigenous Australians can take their rightful place in Australia in the 21st century. That indigenous Australians are no longer the "fringe-dwellers" but are central to
our national life, whether as teachers or doctors or lawyers, as artists or writers, and that every indigenous Australian has the opportunity to fulfill his or her potential.
For in denying these opportunities for too long, white Australia, too, has been the poorer. We have deprived ourselves for generations of the deep knowledge of country, of the wit, the courage, the generosity and resilience of indigenous Australians.
We need to learn from these qualities, and we need more indigenous leaders who can point us to them. So I am pleased that funds from my Lord Mayor's Salary Trust have gone to the Robert Riley Scholarship Program to help indigenous students study law, human rights, child protection, criminology and juvenile justice.
Some years ago, the City of Sydney recognised the importance of Redfern in the story of indigenous Australia, and recognised our own significant indigenous population by signing a Principles of Co-operation agreement with the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council. These principles recognise the community and its spiritual and cultural ties to the land.
They also commit us to working together to foster reconciliation and to promote Aboriginal history and heritage. It is my hope that within the next few years, Sydney will have a major Aboriginal Cultural Centre to exhibit and teach the story of the world's oldest living culture. A place for black and white Australians, and overseas visitors, to learn more of our shared story.
I'd like to conclude with some lines from a poem by Michael Thwaites, written at the grave of Teresa Clements, who was buried at Cummeragunja [kummer-ah-gun-jer] in 1959.

You, last of all that knew your tribal tongue,
Sleep now with them in this ancestral ground.
Above your grave the towering, ancient wrong
Speaks in a silence pregnant and profound.

Beside your grave I stand, among your folk

Who loved this land before the white man came,

Burned by the burning words you never spoke,

I ask for forgiveness for my people's shame.

For named and nameless ills your people bore

From us, who killed by bullet, axe and pride.

For our stone blindness; for the day we tore

In kindness' name your children from your side.

What could we answer if your ghost should rise

To curse our children's children from the grave?

You rise - but with redemption in your eyes

Before we knew to ask it, you forgave.

Thank you. I hope we can all celebrate together this first national Reconciliation
Day. Lord MayorClover Moore MP

SMH coverage and links to speeches here.

Australia Day'08 Harmony Park "Reclaim Our Rights" community vigil

2008-01-26T19:56:00.000+11:00

My speech and some pics from the today's rally against homophobic violence.

Australia Day'08 Harmony Park "Reclaim Our Rights" community vigil

30 years ago our community marched for equality;

– and we were bashed at Darlinghurst, Green Park, Rushcutters Bay and anywhere that gay men dared be seen.

In 2008 has so much really changed?

This is 2008 not 1978 when Gays and Lesbians first bravely marched for our rights,

first fought openly for our equality just a few metres away.

Where they were met with violence.

Where they were met with oppression.

Where they were met with beatings.

Where they were met with official discrimination.

This is 2008 and we should not have to be standing here today – On Australia Day in 2008,

Standing here in a vigil

– demanding an end to the violence

– demanding an end to the discrimination

– demanding equality as Australians

– demanding equality as human beings

But we are standing here in angry protest!!

Have things changes in 30 years??

We are still second class citizens in our country,

And while the government treats us a second class citizens,

Whilst government scorns our relationships,

It is a passive partner in the violence against us!

For as surely as cowards bashed Craig and Shane - the government was looking the other way.

And the broader community was looking the other way,

And the church was looking the other way.

For until government recognizes our relationships,

Until government recognizes our existence as legitimate and equal,

others will not follow:

Others like the homophobes bashing gay people on the streets around us every night
bashing gays on the streets around Australia.

Until government dismantles all the official prejudices against us.

Until all levels of government do that – until that happens – how can we expect the violent cowards to understand,

That we are fellow human beings.

That we are valued members of the Australian nation.

All levels of Government have to share this responsibility:

The Federal Government – I don’t care what party you are – just get on with dismantling the 58 laws that label us second class citizens.

End those laws this year?

End those laws in February in the 1st weeks of the new parliament sitting.

Mr Rudd don’t back slide on your promises!!

Do it now – make us equal now!

In NSW – Mr Iemma, make us equal - give us Civil Unions in NSW –

let me marry my Danish partner as he can do in his home country

– and every single country of the European Union including Britain.

Make my relationship equal

before our families,

Equality before the parliaments

Equal before the laws

Equal before the people

Equal before the gay bashers.

Make it clear to gay bashers that bashing 2 gay guys holding hands is the same evil as bashing a married straight couple holding hands.

We are equal, our rights and aspirations are equal.

Our pain and injuries are equal.

And to the Council.

I say Stop the blame game

Put aside your turf wars with the state government

and baggage of 20 years

You can do more to protect this vulnerable community.

Fund more Police on overtime for Oxford Street

And if the Police will not take out pink tax money then fund teams of security guards
over the summer peak.

Clover - support me next time at Council when I want us to open a police station on Oxford Street and pay for the extra police.

Support me next time when I have a positive plan to confront this violence.

Council can do more right now by:

expanding the CCTV to cover hot spots around Crown, Goulburn, Bourke and Flinders Streets

Fund a late night Police shop front in the midst of the Oxford Street clubs or at Taylor Square

Install panic points at Taylor Square and Crown Street intersections
develop a policy of incentives to gay bars and clubs on Oxford Street to retain the gay
venues

Now is the time for action - not more words.

The Council must move to protect our endangered Gay identity on Oxford Street.

Oxford Street is a gay street; we want it to stay a gay street
we don’t want permission to visit our bars and venues

30 years ago our community marched for equality

In 2008 has so much really changed?

Today right here in Harmony park – thanks to a motivated and caring community members - we are saying enough is bloody enough!

Give us our full and equal rights.

Government – stop looking the other way

and treating us as second class citizens condoning the violence against us.

Give us equality, give us protection and banish the hate in the hearts of a few of our fellow Australians.

I thank the organizers and all of you for coming along today.
Pics - top Shayne addressing the rally and bottom protesters march up Oxfrod Street

Council must do more to prevent violence on Oxford Street

2008-01-25T15:52:00.000+11:00

MEDIA RELEASE

City of Sydney Councillor Shayne Mallard is keeping the pressure on Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP and her City Council with renewed calls for the Council to take positive action to help stop the growing violence against gays and lesbians around Oxford Street.
"Late last year I called upon Lord Mayor and member for Sydney, Clover Moore and her ruling group on the City Council to fund a late night shop front Police station and staff for Oxford Street as an immediate and urgent action to address growing anti social and
homophobic behaviour on the famous entertainment strip," Shayne said.
"Clover Moore refused my proposal and instead offered as an alternative an empty Council shop in the wrong location to be staffed by volunteers,"
"Clover and her group of Councillors waived a vague Police department memo to claim that such a proposal was not permissible. This has since been refuted by the Police
Minister's office."
In the meantime the violence and anti social behaviour that particularly targets gays and lesbians has escalated and appears to have expanded with the appalling homophobic bashing in Crown street several weeks
ago.

Shayne Mallard has released his 10 point plan to urgently address the growing violence on the strip:

1. Upgrade CCTV on Oxford street so that all aspects are covered
2. expand CCTV to cover hot spots around Crown, Goulburn, Bourke and Flinders Streets
3. Install more CCTV warning and awareness signs including in venues
4. Fund a trial late night Police front in the midst of the Oxford Street clubs or at Taylor Square
5. Fund trial late night Police overtime for regular patrols of the streets and bars OR
6. Fund trial team of private security guards in direct contact with police to patrol the streets
7. Install panic points at Taylor Square and Crown Street intersections similar to those in China Town where threatened people can be immediately patched through to Police for help
8. develop a policy of incentives to gay bars and clubs on Oxford Street to retain the gay venues
9. develop with the community a gay and lesbian education program about safety awareness and responsibility
10. develop with the community an anti discrimination and anti violence
campaign
Shayne defended his plan against critics who claim Council should not be funding State government responsibilities.
"When I last raised the idea of Council stepping in to fund an Oxford street Police shop and Police overtime, Clover and her Councillors ridiculed the idea as cost shifting."
"Council already funds areas that have traditionally been state government
responsibilities including CCTV, homeless services and health care."
Shayne said that after spending $23 million on the Oxford street upgrade the investment in community safety is a small consideration.
"It is time this Council did more than flower boxes, worthy reports and pointing the finger," Shayne concluded.
Shayne Mallard will be addressing the Anti Violence Vigil at Harmony Park, Goulburn Street, Surry Hills this Saturday from 4pm.
RELEASE ENDS
23 January 2008

SEARCH FOR SOLUTIONS STARTS by Harley Dennett SSO

Homophobic violence is looming as the major issue for many of the contenders in the City of Sydney council elections later this year, with the Greens and Liberals calling for new thinking.
NSW Greens leader Lee Rhiannon vowed to make the issue a top priority during the campaign.
“We’re not blaming any specific person for this, but violence is obviously a complex issue and we need to be using all opportunities to raise it,” she said.
“It’s got to be policies on the ground. Clearly the local council needs to work with police, but there’s a real role for it in changing what that entertainment precinct is used for.
“It’s quite a different place during the evening than during the day time. We support the measures to bring back the shops people need – fruit and veg, butcher, etc.”
Sydney Liberal councillor Shayne Mallard offered a 10-point plan including expanding and upgrading the CCTV network and advertising it with warning signs.
He also wanted panic points similar to those at Chinatown installed at Taylor Square and the Crown St intersection.
Mallard has not backed down on council paying for supplementary policing, which Lord Mayor Clover Moore has maintained is not permissible.
“Council already funds areas that have traditionally been state government responsibilities including CCTV, homeless services and health care,” Mallard said.
“It is time this Council did more than flower boxes, worthy reports and pointing the finger.”
He also called for incentives for gay venues on Oxford St to stay gay.
A number of gay venues have development applications to increase viability. The Colombian Hotel has requested a 24-hour licence, Arq plans a new street-level small bar to operate during the week, and Slide wants to cut its security staff by a third.
Marc Kuzma from Slide said there was no violence within the gay venue, only outside where it maintained four security staff to protect patrons.
Arq proprietor Shadd Danesi said the gay clubs have always been part of the solution.
“In regards to clubs contributing, Arq has already put security guards on Sturt and Taylor streets for the last nine years,” he said.
“Both those streets were fairly violent and we’ve cleaned them up. It’s cost in excess of $1.2 million in wages for those security guards. We’ve contributed a massive amount of money to keeping the surrounding streets safe.”
Moore and Mallard are both scheduled to speak at Saturday’s vigil against homophobic violence.

NRMA triggers bicycle debate

2008-01-11T08:31:00.000+11:00

The NRMA's attack on bicycle infrastructure investment has triggered an angry debate in today's SMH including an editorial calling for more use of footpaths (something the City of Sydney is doing as shared zones in some areas where pedestrian numbers are not high), an op ed penned by Clover Moore's office, a news report and a series of letters including mine below. I'm off to ride my bike now. PS great pic on line and reproduced here as well!

Letters to the Editor

Where has the NRMA been? All over the Western world urban people are increasingly turning to cycling for transport and recreation. Sydney City Council research shows people want to take up cycling for environmental, health and economic reasons but are reluctant because of the lack of safe, coherent cycling infrastructure. This is where the NRMA's rubbery financial figures fall down. The cycling infrastructure that today's governments are finally building is an investment for generations to come. As an NRMA member I should point out that in any one week I drive my car, catch public transport, walk to work and ride my bicycle. Our road infrastructure must be understood in a balanced and sustainable context if it is to serve Sydney for generations to come.
Councillor Shayne Mallard Sydney
Bike lanes dangerous, cyclists warn

NRMA misses point on Cycling investment

2008-01-10T09:12:00.000+11:00

Welcome back to the New Year and what better way to start than the NRMA taking the opportunity to attack government spending on cycling infrastructure. I'm not sure where they have been for the past few years but cycling numbers are growing all over Australia and the western world as people look to alternative modes of transport. Cycling numbers are growing steadily here in Sydney as well. Council's research has shown that the biggest obstacle to more people cycling recreation or to commute is lack of safer cycling infrastructure such as separated cycling lanes. When first elected to the city Council I campaigned for separate 'European' style cycling lanes for William and Oxford Streets. The outcome was the unacceptable compromise of cycling in bus lanes on Oxford or in imaginative painted lanes that disappear on William. The Council has now finally changed its approach and is investing in proper infrastructure to support current and future growth in cycling. What the NRMA forgets is that it is not us or them - the users of the roads are all tax payers and all various users at different times. I'm a cyclist but also own a car, walk to work and catch public transport.

SMH report below:

Money wasted on cyclists: NRMA

Car is still king . . . a cyclist cuts a lonely figure on the path shared with pedestrians on Epping Road yesterday.Photo: Ben Rushton
Alexandra SmithJanuary 10, 2008
TAXPAYERS are pouring millions of dollars into lining motorways with cycleways that are barely used - and are building a new bicycle lane the NRMA says will effectively cost $300,000 for every cyclist that uses it.
Despite pleas from Sydney's Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, for bicycles to reclaim the streets, the motoring organisation says residents are sticking to four wheels.
In a submission to the Roads and Traffic Authority it accuses the Government of wasting millions on cyclists at the expense of motorists, who are forced to battle worsening congestion as lanes are removed from busy roads.
The cycling lane on the M2 attracted just 130 cyclists a day. The Iemma Government is building a cycleway alongside choked Epping Road, despite as few as 25 cyclists using that corridor each day.
At $7.6 million for the Epping Road cycleway, the NRMA says that would amount to spending $300,000 per cyclist on a lane that is unlikely to attract many more riders, based on the experiences of the M2 motorway.
The NRMA wants the Epping Road cycleway to be scrapped to allow lanes to be widened for trucks and cars.
The Westlink M7 cycleway added $60 million to the cost of that project, a legacy of the former roads minister Carl Scully.
The Government has paid $25 million to Connector Motorways, which owns the Lane Cove Tunnel, to delay narrowing Epping Road from three lanes to one in each direction, leaving room for a bus lane and cycleway. The intention of narrowing the road is to funnel motorists into the tunnel.
The M2 dedicated a breakdown lane to cyclists when it opened 10 years ago but only 130 cyclists a day used it.
Cr Moore has accused the Government of being anti-bicycle and pro-car, and has flagged a plan for a cheap bicycle rental system in the city.
But the president of the NRMA, Alan Evans, questioned the value of cycling lanes, and said Sydney motorists would suffer when the Epping Road-Lane Cove Tunnel roadworks were completed.
"When you have high traffic volumes of more than 35,000 vehicles per day, this is not a sensible use of resources," Mr Evans said. "Cyclists appear to be the only winners on Epping Road, at the expense of thousands of motorists."
A spokesman for the RTA said the cycleway would attract many more cyclists than those now using Epping Road. He said the NRMA's figure was not a true reflection of how popular the new cycleway would be once completed.
"If you give cyclists a dedicated facility instead of riding in normal traffic, they will use it," the spokesman said.
The acting Opposition Leader, Andrew Stoner, said the traffic gridlock on Epping Road was a sign of things to come.
"Current traffic on Epping Road is bumper-to-bumper and most people haven't even returned from their holidays," he said. "Morris Iemma and [the Minister for Roads] Eric Roozendaal spent $25 million of taxpayers' money to delay the road changes until after the state and federal elections and now motorists know why."
Bicycles stay home
- M2: 130 cyclists a day
- Westlink M7: 40 km cycleway, cost $60 million
- Epping Road: $7.6 million, 25 cyclists using the road each day

Thank you

2008-01-09T23:00:00.000+11:00

Thank you for your support

I am writing to thank you on behalf of the Liberal Action Team for your interest and support in my campaign for the City of Sydney. Whilst the final election results are not in, it appears that Clover Moore MP has been returned with an outright majority on the Council and the Greens have increased their position at the expense of Labor.

The Liberal Party can be satisfied that we improved our vote by 4%. As I travelled around the polling booths I was delighted by the positive response our policies on car parking and the city economy were receiving from voters. The 4% swing should be seen as support for these strong policies and I will use my position on the Council in the coming term to argue the agenda we set in this election. I would like to thank the volunteers and supporters who worked on the campaign and on polling day.

I would like take this opportunity to thank the great team who took time out of their busy work lives to stand with me for election. My team presented a very credible alternative Council. The new Council will meet later this month and eCouncillor will resume its usual monthly format. Thank you to the readers for your advice and support.

Shayne Mallard, Councillor

Get the latest news in eCouncillor

William Street Plane Tree Neglect

2007-12-17T12:17:00.000+11:00

The saga of the William Street plane trees continues with the Daily Telegraph report below highlighting the RTA finally taking responsibility for the failure of the so called 'Green Boulevard' and the waste of (ultimately) public money. I have been pursuing this matter since the plane trees were first being planted by the Cross City Tunnel contractor over a year ago. At that time I alerted Council staff to the neglect the huge (and at that time healthy) trees were being subjected to during the planting phase. Unwatered, wilting and planted as though light poles and not living valued trees - I asked our staff to intervene. The response at that time and consistently each time I have raised this mess with the Council has been that 'the assets will be rectified by the contractor prior to hand over to the Council'. This is where the problem lies. I suspect no tree expert or aborist was engaged by the CCT to monitor the planting and after care. The results speak for themselves. Residents, business owners, workers, pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and other commuters will have to wait at least another year before we may start to see the promised green canopy pictured below begin to emerge. Trees are not just assets but valued living investments in our urban environment. But then who would have thought you could kill the much maligned and pretty indestructible plane trees? only the RTA.

Plans wilt as RTA kills trees on William Street

By Justin Vallejo, Urban Affairs Reporter
December 17, 2007 12:00am

A PICTURESQUE corridor of newly-planted trees was supposed help a run-down William St become a Parisian-style boulevard following the opening of the Cross City Tunnel. But with the RTA bungling its planting and maintenance effort, up to 64 of the 73 trees are either dead or dying. Instead of a leafy, tree-lined avenue with thick greenery blowing in the wind that was promised in countless artists' impressions, the skeletal grove that has emerged will have to be hacked away by chainsaw this week
Click here to see the depressing pics for yourself.

The RTA has accepted responsibility, offering to replace the trees and hand over management to council after a failed two-year landscaping attempt. The disaster comes days after The Daily Telegraph revealed the State Transit Authority had killed native birds at its Ryde depot. A City of Sydney Council spokesman said they would begin removing 33 of the trees that were beyond salvation from Wednesday.
Another 31 poorly trees will be monitored over the coming months, but hope is fading that they can be saved. Only eight trees are in good condition, while another three planted recently by the council are also flourishing. "Thirty-three replacement plane trees will be planted in April when the weather is more amenable to tree planting to maximise growth and tree health," a council spokesman said. It is the latest scandal to plague the Cross City Tunnel project, which has experienced falling patronage, speed camera controversies and community outrage at road closures.
Council experts found the trees were dead or dying because:
SOME trees were planted up to 280mm too deep and were covered by too much soil;
THE PH levels of the soil found within the root balls of some of the dead trees was high, possibly from concrete found in the soil;
THERE was poor root growth in some trees;
SOME of the roots did not appear to have been pruned prior to planting; and
THE trees showed signs of a lack of water.
What was promised:

Can Erskineville survive a Woolworths supermarket?

2007-12-17T11:09:00.000+11:00

Residents of Erskineville and surrounding suburbs are running a strong, effective, grass roots Internet based campaign in opposition to the proposed redevelopment of the "Hive' site on Erskineville Road (formerly the Mardi Gras HQ pictured below).

Details on the proposal are outlined below from the recent SMH article. I share the concerns of residents about increased traffic impacts and the potential negative impact upon the existing small shopping strip at Erskineville. I lived in Erskineville for six months in the mid 90's during a period when the shopping strip appeared to be teetering between survival and closing down with many empty shops and only short term businesses. Since then as the suburb has grown and the community identity strengthened (including the successful campaign backed by South Sydney Council to stop the closure and sale of Erskineville Public School) the shopping strip has emerged as a fine example of a diverse and sustainable urban hub as distinct from nearby larger areas and much valued by the local community and visitors alike. These are important broader points in considering the overall impact of this proposal.

It has been interesting to observe the competition between Woolworths and Coles to open more 'boutique' styled supermarkets from 900 to 2500 square metres in size across the inner city over recent years. Competition to infill the pockets where the mega supermarkets have less reach has been aggressive particularly around the Green Square developments but also Potts Point, Surry Hills and Oxford Street precincts.

Being a resident of Potts Point I am a fan of the recently opened Woolworths under the IKON building on Macleay Street. This smaller supermarket has zero parking with a 15 minute pick up zone out front for people who must use a car. Shopping trolleys are prohibited from being taken out of the supermarket. This approach along with a good range of produce and usually friendly staff generally works to make the supermarket very well patronised and popular with the locals. Rather than extinguish competition as was feared it appears to have help stimulate a shopping renewal in the general area with a new butcher, greengrocer and several up market deli's. Other businesses have opened to service the demand for improved shopping opportunities including cafes, florists, travel agencies and clothing stores some making a welcome come back to the area. A neighbouring convenience store did close down but was replaced by a bookshop and now a new popular deli. The competition has also stimulated the redevelopment of the tired Coles competitor under the famous 'Coke' sign. However it has not all been roses with some reports of delivery vehicle issues at the Woolworths and Council is monitoring the loading dock to make sure it complies with the approval. Having made these observations - Erskineville is a long way from Potts Point with a much lower urban density and higher car ownership and usage. So not quite comparing apples with apples.

To understand these issues and the impact of the Erskineville proposal on that community the applicant should provide Council with an independent economic impact study and detailed traffic study and plan. We have had this information provided by supermarket applicants in the past and most recently for the Green Square Town Centre where two reports confirmed the demand existed for several supermarkets in the area.

As most eCouncillor readers know Councillors are required to consider the full and independent planning report prepared by our qualified staff as well as all the submissions made by the public before making a final determination on a development proposal. I look forward to reviewing the officer's planning report in the New Year and the thorough planning committee process to come.

To find out more from the Erkineville campaign go to the Village Friends web site here.

Sydney Morning Herald

Residents off trolley over shop proposal

Jano Gibson Urban
Affairs ReporterDecember 15, 2007
A PLAN to build a two-storey supermarket in Erskineville has outraged residents who fear their narrow streets will be choked with traffic. Artro Management, on behalf of Harold R Finger & Co, the owner of the building on the corner of Gowrie Street and Erskineville Road, is seeking the City of Sydney's approval to excavate and partially demolish the vacant building. In its place it wants to erect a 2138-square-metre, two-level supermarket and specialty store, with a basement car park for 31 vehicles. The supermarket, a short distance from Erskineville and Newtown stations, would be open seven days a week. The development application says it will cater for people who tend to buy a small amount of groceries every few days, making it easier for people to carry groceries home without a car.
Standard shopping trolleys would not be available, customers instead using baskets and basket trolleys."The aim is to provide the customer with convenience and ease of shopping with a range that can be purchased over multiple trips during the week rather than one large purchase," the application reads.
The developer's insistence that the supermarket would be compatible with its surrounds appears to have fallen on deaf ears. Last week, about 200 people attended a meeting at a local church to voice their concerns.
"We are talking about a large supermarket: two storeys. That is not a corner store, by any stretch of the imagination," said Victoria Rati, a resident and member of the Erskineville community group Village Friends. She said extra traffic, including delivery trucks, would make parking problematic for residents and increase noise in the street. The group urged the council to organise an independent traffic and parking study."At the present, sometimes you have to park one to two blocks away from where you live and that's just going to add to the pressure," Ms Rati said.
The supermarket could also jeopardise smaller shops on Erskineville Road, she said."If just three shop owners were impacted this may be sufficient to destroy the fabric of the entire village."

Ian Thorpe Pool Cost Blow Out - Channel 7 News

2007-12-13T14:22:00.000+11:00

Channel 7 broke the story on a potential $3 million cost blow out for the much lauded Ian Thorpe Pool built by Council. The claim against Council relates to decontamination costs but the Questions that need to be answered include why wasn't Council's Finance Committee informed? - (of which I am Deputy Chair and Clover Moore chairs). On top of the slippery tiles fiasco and collapse of the Indian restaurant in Surry Hills (see earlier post) what more is Clover's administration planning for ratepayers? See the news story on this link:

Pool battle headed for the courtroom

Being a tolerant and loving Community starts on our Streets

2007-12-12T23:18:00.000+11:00

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SYDNEY STAR OBSERVER

by Councillor Shayne Mallard from City of Sydney Council 12/12/2007

FALSE PREACHERS
I was shocked and angry to have so-called “preachers” come to the City of Sydney Council meeting and demand the right to preach gay vilification on our streets in the false and distorted guise of religious freedom. The gay and lesbian community have suffered unjust religious persecution and vilification for centuries and it has no place in the streets of Sydney today.We all know the harm religious bigotry has caused for countless members of our community including family rejection, low self-esteem, self-harm, gay bashings and even death. So-called “preaching” against gays also sadly damages the good name of Christians in our community.In response to the “preachers’” representations I moved the following motion at Council to reinforce our core commitments as a progressive city:
“The Council reaffirms its position that we celebrate Sydney’s diversity and embrace people from all walks of life as equals whether their differences be religious, ethnicity, sexuality or other. The City of Sydney strongly supports anti-vilification and anti-discrimination laws and opposes the vilification of any community members particularly the vilification of homosexual people under the guise of religious freedom by street preachers.”
I strongly encourage members of the community exposed to“preachers” on our streets vilifying gay people to take it to the relevant authorities starting with the Council.

Building collapse leaves broader questions for Council to answer

2007-11-29T08:56:00.000+11:00

The evacuation and collapse of a Surry Hills terrace containing a home and restaurant business was the dramatic finale of a potential life threatening disaster on the site adjacent to Clover Moore's much lauded $20 million Surry Hills library.

Whilst Council officials (no doubt advised by lawyers, insurers and the Lord Mayor's media department) are saying it's too early to link the huge construction site next door to the terrace disaster, it defies logic that there is not some linkage that will emerge after proper investigation.

Thankfully no one was injured or killed in the disaster, however an uninsured business has been totally destroyed, jobs and livelihoods lost in the rubble and someone's home is now gone. Not to mention the destruction of part of Crown Street's unique heritage.

How can the Council who impose development conditions on all inner city developments be relied upon to regulate construction when questions are now being asked about the management of their own inner city urban infill developments?

Questions that need to be answered are:

Is the $20 million underground and three story high development an over-development of the sensitive inner city site that inevitably would impact upon the fragile heritage fabric of neighbouring properties?
Has Clover Moore tried to force too much development into this small site?
Is the rush to have this building completed before next September's Council elections putting unreasonable pressure on the contractor and Council management?
Is the orgy of construction projects being undertaken by Clover Moore's Council (eg Redfern Oval, Glebe Point Road, Water Police site Pyrmont, Sydney Town Hall upgrade, Walter Reid Reserve, Cook and Phillip Park etc) placing strains upon Council's ability to monitor project performance and contractors?

The only way to answer the questions and restore confidence in Clover Moore's Council administration is an at arm's length independent inquiry that does not just look at why the bricks fell down in Surry Hills but looks more broadly at Council's capacity to undertake dozens of multi million dollar construction projects simultaneously. The State Government should undertake such an inquiry.

PS Good news Clover is typically AWOL when something goes wrong at Council. No where to be seen during the legionella outbreak from Council inspected cooling towers, silent during Council swimming pool closures owing to bacteria infections and now missing in action in Surry Hills building collapse.

It's crunch time at the curry house
All that's left of Nasir Uddin's Indian restaurant this afternoon.Photo: Sahlan Hayes
There are going to be a number of investigations done; at this stage it's not anything to do with the building work
Latest related coverage
Restaurant wreck: I'm not insured
Photos: going, going, gone

Edmund Tadros - November 28, 2007 - 3:32PM
A demolition drama in Surry Hills ended this afternoon after an unstable Indian restaurant was finally bowled over by an excavator before cheering onlookers.
As residents welcomed the departure of a television helicopter, which had been hovering loudly overhead for much of the day, the Indian Chilli restaurant's owner, Nasir Uddin, said he would now consider suing. He believes the Crown Street restaurant's foundations had been unsettled by the building of a community centre next door. Firefighters sprayed water on the debris and dust as police, construction workers and council workers looked on.Even Mr Uddin couldn't resist taking a few photos with his mobile phone.A crowd of people had waited since early morning for the building to be demolished, which came after it began to crack last night.
The reason for the collapse is not known at this stage, but Mr Uddin said he believed the construction site next to his restaurant had destabilised its foundations.
The City of Sydney council is building a Surry Hills community centre on the site; the construction company is ProBuild.
ProBuild's state manager Mark Nathan said that it was too early to determine the cause of the collapse."There are going to be a number of investigations done; at this stage it's not anything to do with the building work," he said.
Angus Kell, state manager of Archicentre, the commercial division of the Royal Australian Institute of Artchitects, said the collapse was the result of the restaurant's foundations being exposed to the elements for the first time in years.
"This is a by-product of in-fill development in some of Sydney's original housing estates ... where the building is exposed to weather where it hasn't been for a number of years, and accordingly the foundations appear to be failing," he said.
Mr Kell was unwilling to assign blame for the collapse of the building."It's very difficult to see [who's responsible] without knowing the finer details ... it may be an act of God, we don't know." As the excavator completed its job and firefighters hosed down the
dust and debris, Mr Uddin watched impassively, smoking a cigarette.Asked what he was thinking as his building collapsed, he said of the builders: "Stupid people, they've got no idea what they're doing."Very bad, very sad." Michael Leyland, director of city projects for the City of Sydney council, said it had been a successful day given the situation the council found itself in this morning with the collapsing building.
He refused to accept responsibility for the collapse of the restaurant and dodged the question of whether the building owner and the Indian restaurant business would be
compensated.He said accommodation would be provided to those requiring it, and that insurance companies would now step in.

SMH pictures here.

Shayne Mallard calls upon Council to fund late night Police for Oxford Street

2007-10-08T19:32:00.001+10:00

MEDIA RELEASE

Liberal City of Sydney Councillor Shayne Mallard has called upon Lord Mayor and member for Sydney, Clover Moore and her ruling group on the City Council to fund a late night shop front police station and staff for Oxford Street as an immediate action to address growing anti social and homophobic behaviour on the famous entertainment strip.

"The community is tired of all the hand-wringing and finger pointing by politicians and is now demanding action," he said.

Councillor Mallard's proposal is for Council to lease a vacant shop on the south side of Oxford Street and fund the overtime for up to six police officers to be based at the station from Thursday to Sunday nights. The station would close at dawn and officers would be required to undertake regular foot patrols through venues and nearby side streets.

Council could also relocate some of their rangers to the station and offer other community services during the day. Council's Oxford street CCTV could be patched through to the office and monitored for any trouble during peak hours.

"Clearly the proposal will need to be guided by Police and community consultation,"

"Council should not have to get into the business of opening police stations, but in the absence of action by successive Labor governments we are left with little alternative."

"This is a wealthy Council that raises more than $20 million from parking meters and is currently spending $60 million renovating the Town Hall."

"I am asking for some of this wealth to be diverted into community safety and protecting a vulnerable and targeted group in our city,"

Shayne said that the proposed Oxford Street police station would be on a one year trial basis.

" After one year we will be able to measure the effectiveness of this plan and hopefully be reporting a drop in attacks on gay and lesbian members of the community. This would be an effective argument for the State government to continue the funding of this initiative.

Shayne Mallard congratulated the Lord Mayor on her recent street walk with drag show celebrity Maxi Shield and the NSW Police Minister.

"I witnessed the Lord Mayor and her media entourage checking out venues last Friday night,"

"Raising the profile of this serious issue is important but it's now time for meaningful action instead of more words," he concluded.

RELEASE ENDS

8 October 2007

Moore's football attendance labelled a bad call

2007-09-17T14:06:00.000+10:00

Clover Moore's decision to accept hundreds of dollars in corporate hospitality from a developer whilst Council is actively considering their major DA and their multi million dollar licensing agreement for Redfern Oval has highlighted just how hypocritical and out of touch the Lord Mayor has become after regularly condemning Councillors and other politicians for accepting (usually indirectly) any support from hotel interests or developers.

This issue has nothing to do with Souths and everything to do with a Lord Mayor over stretched doing two jobs, surrounded by dozens of well paid advisors, hiding behind media spokespersons and splurging $8 million of rate payer's money on an unprecedented communications budget.

Today's Sydney Morning Herald coverage is below:

Moore's football attendance labelled a bad call
Jano Gibson Urban
Affairs Reporter Sydney Morning Herald
page 3 September 17, 2007
WHEN the City of Sydney votes tonight on a new licence agreement with the South
Sydney Rabbitohs, there will be a notable absence in the chamber.The Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, will excuse herself because she accepted corporate box tickets from Souths to one of their games at Telstra Stadium at the beginning of the month.
Her decision to accept the invitation has been labelled "pretty poor judgment" by Shayne Mallard, who decided not to attend the game when he realised there could be a perception of a conflict of interest if he did so.
Cr Mallard said a number of other councillors had also chosen not to accept the invitation after receiving an email from the council's chief executive, Monica Barone, two days before the game explaining that "we are currently assessing a DA for the leagues club and preparing a licence agreement with the football club".
Cr Moore informed the council of her decision to remove herself from discussions on the licence agreement at a finance, properties and tenders committee meeting last Monday. "On Saturday, 1st September, I attended the Rabbitohs game at the invitation of Peter Holmes a Court," she told the council.
"At the time I accepted the invitation I was not aware that the licence agreement was coming up. I very rarely accept invitations like this and on this occasion I only did so at short notice because my plans had changed.
"I don't think this constitutes a pecuniary interest, but I'd rather err on the side of caution. To ensure there is no perception of any conflict of interest I will leave the council chamber and not participate in this discussion or decision."
She had also sought to reimburse Souths for their hospitality, she said.
But Cr Mallard said he was shocked by her decision to attend the event.
"I flagged it. I emailed the CEO, asked the question and [Ms Barone] emailed all the councillors saying, 'This is the situation', but not advising us. Everyone pulled out except for her. I just think it's pretty poor judgment on the part of the Lord Mayor."
He said it could mean Cr Moore has to excuse herself from future discussions and votes on the development application from the leagues club.
Cr Mallard said he did not think Cr Moore's decision not to take part in tonight's vote on the licence agreement would affect the outcome of the vote.
The proposed licence agreement would allow the Rabbitohs to use Redfern Oval and its associated facilities for training purposes and up to eight pre-season or exhibition
matches.
A spokesman for the Lord Mayor said: "Like all councillors, each individual makes conflict of interest decisions on each item discussed. It was probably overkill, but Clover preferred to err on the side of caution and will again on Monday."
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/moores-football-attendance-labelled-a-bad-call/2007/09/16/1189881342926.html

$8 million spin budget coming to your letterbox

2007-09-13T11:26:00.000+10:00

Clover Moore's waste of public money continues a pace with the full colour glossy brochure below letterboxed to thousands of residents. Residents have contacted me in total disbelief that so much money is being wasted on flyers and promotions of the Lord Mayor while we still see homeless people begging on our city streets. And you can count on another Clover Moore BBQ party to open this car refuge along with Council's construction site signage that contravenes the Council's very restrictive advertising policies. I support the upgrade but do we need another glossy picture of Clover Moore announcing it? Residents are saying stop the spin and waste of public money.

Wentworth Fun Run

2007-08-15T13:12:00.000+10:00

Local Liberals joined 65,000 others to run, walk or be pushed across the new seat of Wentworth in the City to Surf race last Sunday. I joined our local federal MP for Wentworth Malcolm Turnbull (pictured) along with Lucy and Daisy to traverse the full breadth of the electorate. Whilst the race does not take in Oxford Street, the Oxford Street issues (a generalisation I know) were in the news as well (see below). More power to Malcolm as he continues his dedicated work in the area of law reforms for gay and lesbian people.

Turnbull takes on mission for gay and lesbian rights

Phillip Coorey and Sherrill Nixon August 13, 2007

MALCOLM TURNBULL has embarked on a personal crusade to convince his cabinet colleagues to allow same-sex couples the same legal and financial rights as heterosexual married and de facto couples. With cabinet preparing to discuss proposed changes, possibly as early as today, the Herald has learnt that Mr Turnbull, the federal Minister for the Environment, has stepped up his push by individually lobbying fellow ministers for support.
The discrimination faced by same-sex couples was highlighted a month ago when the High Court judge Michael Kirby called for the law to be changed so his partner of 38 years, Johan van Vloten, could have access to a part-pension payable for life should Justice Kirby die first. This right would be automatic if Mr van Vloten were female. The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission published a report in June finding same-sex couples were discriminated against in 58 areas of financial and work-related entitlements.
The Attorney-General, Philip Ruddock, is refusing to comment on the state of deliberations or what he will be taking to cabinet, but the Herald understands Mr Turnbull was involved in helping draft the proposals and wants to steer them through cabinet.
"It's Turnbull who's been pushing for the reforms since the [commission] report," a colleague said.
The backbenchers Warren Entsch, Greg Hunt and Peter Slipper have also lobbied intensely. Mr Turnbull's eastern suburbs seat of Wentworth has a large gay and lesbian population, but a colleague of Mr Turnbull said his motive went beyond retaining his seat. Mr Turnbull's wife, Lucy, is the chairwoman of the AIDS Trust, and the Turnbulls have often raised money for the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation. Read more here.

Catching up with Paris on Cycling...

2007-08-03T15:49:00.000+10:00

ABC Radio reports on one of my favourite subjects. Introducing a similar scheme to this for Sydney is part of Council's cycling strategy but it seems the collective view is we need to build a bit more cycling infrastructure before we can successfully introduce a mass bike hire scheme. On Monday night Council will approve a fundamental link in the CBD cycling infrastructure with the King Street CBD connection (see details here) .

Paris bike scheme clocks up 1m rides

Parisians have taken a shine to their city's new bike rental scheme, clocking up 1 million rides since its launch, Paris city hall has announced. More than 10,000 gleaming grey "Velib" bicycles went up for rental at 750 stations across the city on July 15. Their number is set to double to 20,600 by the end of the year. City authorities want residents and tourists to adopt the eco-friendly new system enmasse. Deputy Mayor for Transport Denis Baupin says each bike is already used on average six times per day.

"Once all the stations are up and running, Velib will be carrying as many people as the Paris tramway,"

Velib, a contraction of the French words "velo" (bike) and "liberte" (freedom), is modelled on a successful scheme in the city of Lyon run by advertising giant JC Decaux. JC Decaux is covering the cost of the venture in exchange for exclusive rights to 1,600 hoardings across the city. Registered bikers pay 29 euros ($A46) a year for the rental service, while occasional cyclists can use a credit card to pay a one-off daily fee of 1 euro ($1.60) or weekly charge of 5 euros ($8). Rental is free for the first half hour, rising to 1 euro for the second, 2 for the next and so on - a progressive fee system that is designed to encourage short rents and quick turnover.
Paris joins such European cities as Barcelona, Geneva, Stockholm, Oslo and Vienna, which offer bicycle rentals to try to reduce the number of cars, improve air quality and provide a fun alternative to underground transport.
Tags: environment, france

Green Poles highlights wasted money under Lord Mayor Clover Moore

2007-07-14T13:14:00.000+10:00

While the Premier and two job Clover take holidays away from Sydney's cold spell - eCouncillor has been exposing more wasted money under the left leaning big spending Clover Moore administration. Constituents have been asking and some (especially the visually impaired) have been complaining about the proliferation of brunswick green sign posts in the 'villages'. It turns out that 'green poles' have set the ratepayers back over $260,000!! This was never approved nor debated by Council. Contrary to the spin Moore puts on the issue below the approval to remove signage clutter was given by Council way after thousands of litres of green pain had been splashed across the City. In that debate where I praised initiatives to remove duplicated or excessive street signs, I had asked about the approval and cost for the green poles and also the reason for the odd power poles left on the streets in the middle of new granite paving (eg corner College and Oxford Streets). I was promised the information but it was never supplied - forcing me to place the questions on notice in the public interest. Add to this the environmental costs to paint galvanised posts with green oil paints. This is an administration that has too much cash and is wasting ratepayer's resources.

Mayor's green revolution nails its colour to the pole
Sunanda Creagh SMH
MORE than a quarter of a million dollars have been spent painting silver street poles green since Clover Moore became the Lord Mayor of Sydney. Council papers reveal that over the past three years, 5000 galvanised signposts, light poles and traffic signals have been given the forest green make-over, costing $260,500 - more than $50 a pole. The Liberal councillor Shayne Mallard called the project "an outrageous waste of money".
"The council could have used that money to initiate a program of grants to struggling rural councils or bringing people into the city for a holiday from the drought," he said. "Here we are, the state's art gallery can't afford CCTV and we're painting poles green."
Cr Moore defended the paint jobs as part of a broader effort to beautify streetscapes, which began under the council's former chief executive Peter Seamer.
"In June 2004 council unanimously adopted the recommendation of my Lord Mayoral Minute to improve the public domain by reducing signage clutter in the City of Sydney. New poles are now purchased powder coated, which is more durable and economical than painting on site," she said.

New look CSPC strengthens Sartor's control over City Planning Future

2007-06-27T10:22:00.000+10:00

Former Sydney Lord Mayor and now Labor Planning Minister Frank Sartor has strengthened his control over the Council he formally ran with the purging of the government appointees to the Central Sydney Planning Committee (CSPC) and replacement with four of his own appointees - two of whom come from within his own department.
The CSPC is a hybrid committee with four government appointments and two Councillors and the Lord Mayor created by legislation to keep town hall politics out of the big end of town planning matters. eCouncillor has been a member elected by the Council since 2005.
The CSPC not only deals with all developments valued at more than $50 million, it also importantly controls the content of new planning rules (LEP's). Currently the City is developing a new LEP called the City Plan, this is running two years behind Clover Moore's original promised completion date and delivered by a strategic planning department without a Director - a void filled by an over-stretched CEO. One suspects the new more assertive looking CSPC will move quickly to take greater control over the City Plan agenda. Watch this space.....

Sartor's former staff replace key architect

Catharine Munro, Urban Affairs EditorJune 27, 2007

THE Government Architect has been removed from a significant role in city planning by the Planning Minister, Frank Sartor, even though the Government had assured Parliament he had no intention of doing so.The Government Architect, Peter Mould, will no longer serve on the Central Sydney Planning Committee, which approves any development worth more than $50 million in the CBD.
"The City of Sydney is back under the control of Frank Sartor," said Shayne Mallard, a Liberal councillor who serves on the planning committee.
Mr Sartor announced yesterday that three of his key departmental planners, along with the architect Keith Cottier, would serve on the board. But Mr Mould, who answers to the Department of Commerce rather than the Department of Planning, did not have his contract renewed.
"I think you need to refresh things," Mr Sartor said. "The skill set has been changed to match the current challenge, and that's all I have done."
Since two positions were due to expire this week, he said, he had decided to change all state-appointed spots. But the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, who chairs the committee, said it was "a pity to lose the current members' expertise and particularly the significant role played by the Government Architect".
Among the appointments are three people who worked under Mr Sartor at the City of Sydney, where he was lord mayor from 1991 to 2003. They include Gail Connolly, the executive director of Metropolitan Planning, who would be able to ensure that the City of Sydney's sustainable strategies and those of the Department of Planning were aligned, Mr Sartor said. Also on the committee will be Jason Perica, another former planner with the City of Sydney, who is now the executive director, strategic sites at the department. A former government architect, Chris Johnson, who is the head of cities and centres at the department, will also serve again.
While Mr Sartor said the appointments followed the law governing appointments, the City of Sydney Act 1988, the Royal Institute of Architects labelled the decision
"disappointing".
"The Government Architect of NSW has historically played a very important role in the architecture of the city," said the institute's national president, Alec Tzannes. Among its roles, the committee is overseeing the development of a local environment plan, which will govern planning rules for the local government area. Last November, when amendments to the act were passed just before the state election, Mr Sartor's representative in the upper house, John Della Bosca, told Parliament he had been assured there was no intention of change.
"This minister has advised me that he has no intention of removing the Government Architect from this appointment," Mr Della Bosca said.
Other new appointments to the committee include Christine Covington, a lawyer with planning experience, and Elizabeth Crouch, a former policy director with the Housing Industry Association. The director-general of the Department
of Planning, Sam Haddad and Mr Perica would serve as alternate board members,
along with Mr Cottier.

'Independent' monopoly held by Moore

2007-06-13T13:47:00.000+10:00

The SMH today reports the first outside 'hat' to be thrown into the race for Lord Mayor of Sydney in 2008 elections. It's worth noting that current representatives on the City Council are either major party candidates or the well resourced Clover Moore party members. Being an elected MP since 1988 has entrenched the Clover Moore brand and elevated her to almost an iconic symbol of inner city populism. Add to that the $100's thousands in state MP printing allowances and Council's own $7.5 million spin/marketing budget for 2007/8, then how can any non millionaire candidate compete? Without Council wards ( something the Moore Councillors are luke warm about and have delayed by sending off to a special sub-committee to investigate) - the average local community member not in Moore's fan club has very little chance to get elected as a Councillor let alone Lord Mayor.

Mayoral contender from the arts end of London
Sunanda Creagh Urban Affairs ReporterJune 13, 2007
Poll: Does Clover Moore deserve another term?
COUNCIL elections are still 18 months away but the Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, already faces tough competition for the top job in local government.A former head of the Australia Council, Michael Lynch, says he will stand for lord mayor after returning from a stint as an arts administrator in London. "I might come back as lord mayor of Sydney," he said. "Yes, I'm serious, though Sydney might not be serious about it for me. But I would love to grab hold of Sydney and give it a shake while I am still standing."Mr Lynch, 56, a former director of the Opera House and general manager of the Sydney Theatre company, masterminded the revitalisation of South Bank Centre, one of London's top art and music venues. As a colourful independent, free of the shackles of a party machine, he may put a dent in Cr Moore's share of the vote, but the incumbent Lord Mayor is playing it cool.
"It's a democracy, and anyone can run," she said yesterday, confirming that she planned to stand for re-election in September next year.
A former president of the NSW upper house, Meredith Burgmann, has also said she will run and is prepared to stand against Mr Lynch - a friend - to get it.
"I am still amazed that Clover ran again for the state seat, and I am still angry that she sees being the lord mayor as a part-time job," Dr Burgmann said yesterday. "I am from the half of Sydney she doesn't represent. She still thinks of the City of Sydney as the King's Cross area."
Dr Burgmann, an aunt of the City of Sydney councillor and MP Verity Firth, said she thought Mr Lynch needed a higher local profile to win the lord mayoralty.
"I think that Michael is a lovely man and it would make a very interesting vote because he would certainly appeal to the same demographic as Clover," she said.
"It won't be the sort of arts community who would be his natural voters; it's the residents, and it's residential issues that decide the City of Sydney vote."
In the City of Sydney, voters elect the mayor directly.

Images of Winters Day in East Sydney

2007-06-12T14:33:00.000+10:00

Two men and a dog chat William Street 3pm Monday

Iconic Towers and Coke sign Kings Cross

Holiday Inn Potts Point

Contemporary infill Victoria Street

Winter Plane Trees stormy sky Potts Point

Vale Laura Chaffey MBE

2007-05-31T09:05:00.000+10:00

It is with sadness that I record the death of long term party member Laura Chaffey who passed away at her beloved St Luke’s on Sunday 27 May at age 94.

Miss Chaffey or Sister Chaffey as many people knew her was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the 1980 New Year’s honours in recognition for her services to nursing at St Luke’s Hospital Darlinghurst and for her charitable work. For all her working life Laura was in the nursing profession and for many years she was the sister in charge of the fourth floor at St Luke’s in thoe days when St Luke’s was the major surgical hospital in the City’s east and before St Vincent’s Private Hospital was built. Most of Sydney’s major surgeons operated at St Luke’s and there was always a long waiting list amongst those who had the misfortune to be ill to get onto the fourth floor where Laura’s kindness and compassion were renowned.

But to many people Laura was more than a nursing sister; she held strong, compassionate, progressive liberal political views based on the Menzian tradition and no doubt because she came from a family with a strong commitment to community and political service.

Born in Tamworth in 1913, Laura grew up in a political household and saw her father Frank campaigning for a better deal for rural people. He was soon elected as the local Country party member for Tamworth in the NSW State Parliament where he served as Agriculture Minister in the pre-World War II Stevens UAP-Country Party Government. Her late brother Bill succeeded his father as the local member and he too served as Agriculture Minister in the Askin-Cutler Liberal-Country Party state government.

Laura was believed to be a life long member of the Liberal Party belonging to the Elizabeth Bay-Points Point branch since 1974 (as far back as the branch records go) and was well known for lending her considerable support and encouragement to many an Eastern suburbs aspiring political leader and was last seen just before the March state election attending the local Liberal campaign launch. She was very proud of our local representatives including her fellow branch member Don Harwin MLC and member for Wentworth Malcolm Turnbull.

Our community and the Liberal Party is a lesser place when we say goodbye to people like Laura Chaffey. I will always be thankful for the encouragement she so unstintingly provided in her inimitable clipped and precise way, always tinged with her wonderfully dry humour and wry smile.

Her funeral will be held at 1.30pm on Friday 1 June, St Marks Anglican Church, Darling Point.

(Pictured Laura Chaffey with Malcolm Turnbull at a Liberal party branch function.)

Listen to Jan Ghel Danish Architect

2007-05-11T14:42:00.000+10:00

Visiting Danish Architect Jan Gehl’s media conference earlier this week is available to listen to on podcast. Note Council's information to the media below:

World-leading expert Danish Architect Professor Jan Gehl was the guest speaker
at a press conference on Tuesday. Professor Jan Gehl and his team have been engaged by the City of Sydney to conduct a Public Spaces and Public Life survey just as he has done in London, Copenhagen, Wellington, Stockholm, Rotterdam and Zurich. Gehl's study will be a landmark urban design initiative for the City to help strike a balance between people, cars and the built form. His Sydney study has been commissioned by the City to feed into our long-term strategic plan - Sydney 2030.
"A good city is like a good party - people stay longer than they planned to because they are enjoying themselves,” Professor Jan Gehl said.
"With smaller households, longer lives and increasingly spread dwellings, the public realm and public life obtains an increasingly important role as the direct meeting place between society and the individual.
"A good public realm where people from all walks of life naturally and casually meet is important for democracy, social cohesion in society, the notion of an 'open city' and the feeling of safety."
To hear Tuesday’s conference, download the podcast which is available on the City of Sydney website.

Danish Architect inspires Sydney's future

2007-05-09T10:55:00.000+10:00

Reader's of eCouncillor will be well aware of my great passion for Copenhagen and all things Danish. So it will be no surprise that I am excited that the City of Sydney has engaged the professional services of Jan Ghel the renown Danish architect to undertake a 10 month study of the Sydney CBD. The objective is to facilitate pedestrian and related activity and to 'reconquer' Sydney for the people on the streets. With 400,000 daily workers and visitors our streets and public spaces need to be more than conduits between work, transport and shops.

Ghel has worked for cities all around the world including Melbourne where most observers would agree his guidance has turned the Melbourne CBD from desolate car dominated streets in the mid 90's to a vibrant and bustling CBD full of people, art and activity today. Melbourne Council gives him the credit for changing city policies in the mid 90's. The City of Sydney's hope is that Ghel can guide our city towards a path of a more quality urban experience and enhanced human scale public spaces in the CBD. This will mean challenges including ultimately taming the dominance of the private motor vehicle in the CBD. But other cities are doing it and the results are not just a more livable city but higher economic productivity and social cohesion.

Today's SMH reports on Jan Ghel:

City with a hole at its heart shown how to get back on its feet

City with a hole at its heart shown how to get back on its feet

A walk on the wild side … Professor Gehl braves the traffic on George Street yesterday.Photo: Peter Rae

Catharine Munro Urban Affairs EditorMay 9, 2007
TRAFFIC managers are good at monitoring car movements, but no one is studying how pedestrians use the roads, says the Danish architect Jan Gehl. The oversight could be costly. Professor Gehl believes Sydney - like Melbourne, which he began to study while on sabbatical there in the 1970s - is a "doughnut", because it has nothing in the centre.
"A great proportion of those who use the streets, they have nobody to represent them … they have gradually been treated worse and worse until, in America, they go home and stay home and watch TV and go to the shopping mall and that's the end of life," he said.
The City of Sydney has budgeted almost $300,000 for Professor Gehl's team to observe how pedestrians use the city centre. Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne have also used his services. Melbourne is on his list of nine international success stories. Its achievements have been measured through counting how much life had entered the CBD: the residential apartments, the pavement cafes and the nightlife.
City of Melbourne's director of city design, Rob Adams, said Professor Gehl's two studies, in 1994 and 2004, allowed the city to assess the effect of the changes they made, including the closure of Swanston Street. "Suddenly Swanston Street is the most successful retailing street in Australia," Mr Adams said.
Sydney pedestrians could also "reconquer" the city from the car, Professor Gehl said. "I have the feeling that we should be a little bit bold here and a little bit brave."
City of Sydney already plans to give pedestrians room to move on one of its busiest intersections. They have been buying properties opposite Town Hall - including the Woolworths building - in the hope of making room for a park.
A particular bugbear is the pedestrian push button at traffic lights. Professor Gehl argues walkers should not have to "apply" to cross the road. In a study of London traffic, he found most pedestrians crossed against the lights. "Crossing the road is a human right," he argues.
A spokesman for the Roads and Traffic Authority retorted that "not getting hit by a car" was "beneficial to human rights".
Professor Gehl suggests creating a continuous footpath on main streets, so that cars have to drive over the raised area. "Then the cars have the problem," he said.
His recommendations on Sydney will be released in September.

Community centre's $20m price tag

2007-05-08T23:56:00.000+10:00

From today's SMH - more later.....

Sunanda Creagh Urban Affairs Reporter
THE City of Sydney's plan to build a community centre in Surry Hills, which has exceeded its original budget by more than $13 million, was approved by the council's finance committee last night. The Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, used her casting vote at the special meeting. The centre will include childcare facilities, a library and meeting rooms, and will cost as much as $19.9 million. The council's 2006-09 corporate plan budgeted for only $3.6 million. The Deputy Mayor, Chris Harris, said he was told that incorporating green sustainable principles into the building had driven up the cost. "But sustainability shouldn't cost that much. I thought it was crazy it's gone up so much," Cr Harris said. "I think this project is very, very important to Clover Moore because this is the heart of her support in Bligh."
Cr Tony Pooley, the former mayor of the defunct South Sydney Council, said the centre was first planned by his old council. "The Surry Hills community centre started off under South Sydney. Our report in March 2003 recommended the facility would cost $2.2 million. It's just inconceivable how much it's gone up," he said. "It's a bigger complex than South Sydney envisaged. The green stuff is good and there's an extra floor being dug underground but even since we knew about that it's doubled."
Councillors have asked staff to provide more detail on the cost blowout, but so far had been denied it, Cr Shayne Mallard said.Cr Moore said there was no point comparing old and new project plans. "Previous figures were based on a different project proposed by the former council, or preliminary assessments of the current design."
Richard Francis-Jones, an architect with the firm that designed the building, Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp, said sustainable building principles should not be blamed for the rising cost of the Surry Hills centre. "To say that that number is due to sustainability concerns is completely wrong. Generally speaking, if one is trying to produce a sustainable building, it may involve additional expenditure but in terms of
whole of life costs it's generally less." Work on the centre, in Crown Street, was due to begin this month but has been delayed by councillors fighting over the cost.

City prepares for Public Safety

2007-05-07T10:36:00.000+10:00

After the horrors of 911 and the London train bombings I called upon Council to take practical steps in preparing our city for a public emergency. Since that time the City's CCTV has been significantly upgraded and expanded. High level security meetings between all levels of government have been underway and for those of us on the streets of the city some tangible evidence of planning as the Daily telegraph reports below. Lets hope that these measures are never needed.

Blaring sirens for APEC

By Lillian Saleh May 07, 2007
ALMOST 50 loudspeakers and sirens will be installed across the Sydney CBD under a State Government plan to safeguard the city during the APEC Summit.
With city workers and visitors facing the prospect of road closures at short-notice, they will now also be warned of any security breaches or terrorist threats via this equipment as 21 of the world's leaders converge on Sydney this September. Sydney City Council has agreed to a request by the State Government to allow 49 public announcement and siren systems to be put on smartpoles. It will also allow for the installation of 12 variable message signs (VMS) on the smartpoles – which are multipurpose street poles with street lights and CCTV cameras – and one on the railway structure of the Cahill Expressway.
A copy of a Principles of Understanding agreement obtained by The Daily Telegraph stipulates 13 conditions including that the PS and VMS system "will be primarily used for communicating and assisting the public to safety in the event of a major incident".
The loud speakers and sign boards will be used to alert CBD workers, residents and visitors of a terrorist attack or natural disaster and guide them to safety. But under the agreement, the council will have the right to use the technology at major city events including New Years Eve. In return, the council will not charge the State Government rent for using the smartpoles. The systems are not permitted to be used for commercial advertising or promotional purposes.
"Except in the event of emergency, the hours of use of the PA system, and message relayed, will be limited to minimise disturbance to members of the public," the agreement states.
Liberal Councillor Shayne Mallard yesterday welcomed their installation and called for a public education campaign. "I have previously called upon the City Council to work more closely with State and Federal governments to improve safety for our 400,000 CBD workers and visitors," Mr Mallard said. September 7 has been declared a public holiday for Sydneysiders with the State Government last week launching a tourism drive to encourage residents to get out of town during the September 7 – 9 long weekend. It is understood a state-wide public holiday wasn't declared because it would have encouraged country locals to head to Sydney.

Secret 35% increase in 'Spin' budget

2007-05-07T10:27:00.000+10:00

The problem with Council budgets and Corporate Plans is that they are an omnibus of good and bad spending proposals. On one hand the budget proposes expenditure in areas like child care and libraries and on the other hidden away in confidential briefing papers is a proposal to increase the budget for spin for the council communications unit from $5.52 million in the 2006-07 budget to $7.46 million in the 2007-08 budget - that's a whopping 35% and means more glossy brochures and more slick advertising promoting the City - and the Lord Mayor along the way. The Sydney Morning Herald reports today:

Spin cycle: council PR boost hidden in wash
Sunanda Creagh Urban Affairs Reporter
May 7, 2007
THE City of Sydney council has secretly proposed increasing funding for public relations by more than 35 per cent.
A confidential document, sent only to councillors, reveals a plan to increase funding for the council communications unit from $5.52 million in the 2006-07 budget to $7.46 million in the 2007-08 budget. The unit includes public affairs, publishing services, community consultation and marketing.
"Spin! Looks like they have been taking lessons from the Labor Party," said Cr Shayne Mallard, who opposes the plan.
The money is not for the PR team of the Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, which is funded separately. But Cr Mallard said the Lord Mayor still benefited.
"They are pumping out brochure after brochure with Clover's picture on it. There wasn't a communications department like this three years ago," he said, adding that the proposed change should not have been hidden in confidential papers, unable to be viewed by the public.
The document says increased funding was required "to meet demand for community consultations and higher standards for community information on council services and programs, plus consultation related to [local action plan]projects, the city's capital works and for the Sydney 2030 project in 2007-2008."
The council's chief executive, Monica Barone, said public consultation was anexpensive but important part of the council's $150 million capital works plan for the coming year.
"Every time we [propose a change] to a park or a community centre, we advertise a meeting, talk to people, bring draft designs, we do two or three meetings. Those things cost money but they really pay off," she said.
The proposed communications budget was a fraction of the council's operating expenditure and the figures would be made public once the financial plan was put on exhibition, she said.

Paving standards reviewed

2007-04-16T10:41:00.000+10:00

It’s great that the Sunday press take up the important issues confronting our city…but if you are wearing high heels and take a tumble in Martin Place then you would appreciate that this problem has been raised and acknowledged by Council. I have received several complaints from women about tripping over on our granite paths and after yesterday’s coverage more have come forward including an MP. It is a serious issue with the potential for a life long injury caused by falling hard onto the unforgiving granite. What this issue does highlight is the variation in standards for laying granite around our city streets.

There are different specifications for various projects around town. Not only are the gaps and joints different but also some areas are cemented down and others layed on a weaker sand and cement mix. The result of this is that on some streets we can lift out granite paving stones, sit them aside and then relay them when work is completed eg Oxford street. In other areas contractors have to cut and jackhammer out the granite and then lay new stone to make the paving repairs. An example of this is William Street. People stand shaking their heads as they watch the new granite cut and ripped out by telecommunications contractors. Not a very ‘sustainable’ use of resources.

Council officers are very aware of my consistent concerns about this wastage and are in fact attending a national conference on ‘street paving and openings’ where issues like this and the authority of utilities to open foot ways without consultation with Councils will be discussed.

Martin Place a hazard for heels
By Ellen Connolly April 15, 2007 12:00
Sydney City Council has to undertake essential repairs to Martin Place - because of women's shoes. Each week, scores of women are getting their heels caught in gaps in the deteriorating granite paving. Not only are they ruining expensive stilettos, the risk of injury has heightened.
"It has become dangerous,'' Sydney City councillor Shayne Mallard said. "Women could break their wrists - never mind breaking a $100 pair of shoes.''
Lord Mayor Clover Moore agreed, and last week ordered urgent repairs be carried out. Ms Moore told a recent meeting she also wanted a review of construction standards for granite paving. Anna Farrow welcomed the council move because it would reduce her shoe bill.
"My shoes get caught most days and I'm always getting them reheeled,'' the 21-year-old bank worker said.
The paving was laid in 1998 as part of a $15 million facelift of Martin Place. But the rubber joint filling has deteriorated, creating 10mm gaps. Anna Balashova, 25, said her heels were often getting stuck.
"I'm very conscious now when I'm walking. I'm quite tall and it's a very high fall for me. It's every girl's concern.''
Councillor Mallard said the issue was of public safety as women had reported falling over. "A woman contacted me and said her heel got caught she fell over, face forward and broke her shoe,'' he said.
"The gaps are just too wide. It could lead to a lifelong injury.''

Council Adopts 10 year Cycling vision

2007-04-02T19:01:00.000+10:00

Cycle Strategy and Action Plan 2007 - 2017

Below is my speech in endorsing the Council's adoption of the Cycle Strategy.

I was initially cynical about the worth of 'earth hour' last Saturday night. But after this Council got on board and I started hearing the enthusiasm of so many people willing to support an action that was as much about being something within the power of each person to make a small difference as it was symbolic of our city and society to start cleaning up our environmental act. The success of earth hour said to me that people are looking for a way that they can personally make a difference in their day to day lives.

Symbolism is important but short lived if it is not followed up by actions and reforms. And so it is more than symbolic that 48 hours after earth hour we are adopting the Cycle Strategy 2007 - 2017 for the City of Sydney. Individuals want to know what they can do to help our environment, to reduce car dependency, to reduce traffic
congestion and live a healthier lifestyle. They want to know how they personally
can make a difference in a city of millions. Through this strategy as we roll out its funded Action Plans we are providing an important opportunity for people who live, work and recreate in this City to reduce their footprint on the environment and lead a healthier and happier life.

This Council and organisation has travelled a long way in the three years since
we initiated a comprehensive rethink on how this city approaches cycling. My hope three years ago was that we would one day be building separate cycle lanes across the city and I set that in my mind as a long term objective. However the fact is that as I struggled with resistance to this from various quarters, I came to the reluctant view that getting a painted lane network was better than nothing at all and that in time as usage grew pressure would force the powers that be, to start to build safer separated lanes that encouraged more people to rediscover the joys of cycling.

So I am very proud that after three years of hard work by staff, consultants and stakeholders (not to mention my colleagues particularly Clrs Harris & McInerney) that we have a comprehensive strategy that is of course not perfect or totally complete but that lays down the framework and principles for this city to embrace a broad based cycling culture over the next decade. A strategy and action plan that allows each resident, worker and visitor an opportunity to make an ongoing personal contribution to reducing our impact upon the climate.

More information on the cycle strategy here.

Clr John McInereny and me cycling in the City.

"It has a sniff of pork to it,"

2007-03-29T16:02:00.000+10:00

The SMH reports on Clover's $350 million spending spree. She can't spend it fast enough rewarding her loyal village voters. Meanwhile the CBD where ALL the wealth was created does not get its share reinvested. Cracked and uneven bitumen paths still represent the majority of CBD footpaths. Roads continue to show signs of advanced wear and tear. Key pedestrian and commuter links wait for yet another study as do the retailers as they beg for more marketing resources. Most CBD parks are in desperate need of some TLC. The state of the Pitt Street Mall with cracked and damaged paving is an embarrassment. And finally the homeless and not so homeless lie in doorways and block footpaths begging for cash as if we are in the 3rd world.

Catharine Munro Urban Affairs Editor March 29, 2007

TAYLOR SQUARE, Sydney's meeting point for drunks, drag queens and office workers, is in town planners' sights for yet another makeover.
The City of Sydney has the Oxford Street nightclub hub on its list for refurbishment as part of its substantial $350 million program that started three years ago and will continue for the next four years.
Planners are yet to decide how they will do it, but they want to combat public fears about safety on the square, which is presided over by the historic Supreme Court building but ruled by nightclubs and pubs.
They are considering it as a new spot for jazz performances and offering busking licences, as well as installing more public art. They also want to build a cafe above a disused toilet outside the Supreme Court to encourage people to enjoy the open space.
"It's been dead space for some time ... It's meant to be a community meeting place, a place to gather," the council's general manager of special projects, Steve O'Brien, told the Herald.
But that is easier said than done, says Cr Tony Pooley, who presided over a major renovation of Taylor Square as mayor of South Sydney Council before it joined the City of Sydney three years ago. He spent $5.25 million for a water feature and terraced grass on the so-called Gilligan's Island side of the square, which opened in 2003. He believes the plan failed because Taylor Square is just too busy.
"We had this idea that people ... might break out the paper and have a bit of coffee," Cr Pooley said. The high-speed traffic on Oxford Street and the number of pedestrians made it impossible for people to take in the atmosphere, he said.
The $350 million budget will be spent on sites across the City of Sydney, which runs from Redfern to Rushcutters Bay and up to Glebe, following the amalgamation with South Sydney and parts of Leichhardt.
Following a 12-month community survey, the council plans to start spending what the Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, argues were excessive cash reserves accumulated through past underspending on facilities and infrastructure.
"These are concept plans at this stage," said Cr Moore.
But a Liberal councillor, Shayne Mallard, said the spending should be spread over a longer period of time.
"It has a sniff of pork to it," Cr Mallard said.

Another election is over - but who really won?

2007-03-28T10:22:00.000+10:00

Finally another election has come and gone (well nearly gone). The new seat of Sydney has rewarded its big spending Lord Mayor by electing her MP. The Liberals have come second in the contest for the first time since losing the old Bligh in 1988. Councillors celebrated various personal triumphs with champagne after Monday night's committee meetings. I raised a glass to the second Rabbitohs victory.

Vote4Cycling.com.au

2007-03-15T16:31:00.000+11:00

Edward Mandla on the inner city campaign trail

2007-03-15T16:25:00.000+11:00

Electorate of Sydney candidate Edward Mandla may be a heterosexual father of three, but he's also a man for the gay community, he tells Sam Butler.

"Gays don't care about gay and lesbian issues - they care about land tax."

The NSW Liberals did their homework when selecting Edward Mandla as their candidate for the State seat of Sydney: powerfully built, with exfoliated and moisturised skin, distinguished grey hairs and a handsome smile, he's an ideal 'Daddy' fantasy for the otherwise politically-ambivalent 'twinks' residing in and around Stonewall.
Stonewall, in fact, is where Mandla recently launched a fundraiser, without actually addressing any gay and lesbian issues in his speech! He points out, in his defence, that he was there as part of Shadow Mental Health Minister Judy Hopwood's launch of the Opposition's $396 million mental health policy.
Mandla cites Labor's failures in mental health as a prime reason for his decision to throw his hat into the political arena; and becoming Member for Sydney would be a commendable addition to an already impressive resume, including Immediate Past President of the Australian Computer Society (ASC) and current director of Smartforce Solutions.
The father-of-three identifies as a strong family man, but his concept of family is vastly different from that of the Liberal Party's 'family values' proponents. Unlike former Prime Minister Paul Keating, Mandla believes "a man and his dog" does constitute a family, and says the current definition of 'family' pushed by most of his counterparts is in need of a shake-up. To this end, he claims he is the "crusader" needed to challenge homophobic attitudes in a party not renowned for being queer-friendly. In Mandla's view, the Liberal Party is not so much the "broad church" that John Howard describes, but "a high-rise building in the CBD in which every part of society resides" - including, apparently, gay-friendly IT gurus.
So just how gay-friendly is Edward Mandla? "[My] entire campaign team is gay", he says, including his campaign director. He identifies "hundreds" of gay and lesbian friends, including "lonely older gay men" whom he speculates might not be so lonely now if they had the opportunity to commit to one another via civil unions years ago. Consequently, he's strongly in favour of such unions and guarantees to be vocal in his support should he pull off the minor miracle of knocking Clover Moore out of the seat she's held for nearly 20 years.
He claims, however, that his many queer friends aren't talking to him about such issues - "they're talking to me about land tax!" Perhaps this explains why the words 'gay' and 'lesbian' don't appear anywhere in the Liberals' 2007 State election policy platform. Despite this absence, Mandla believes that equality will be achieved for gays and lesbians - in fact, he maintains that it's a done deal, and offers an optimistic time-frame of 'five to ten years' (even under Howard and/or Debnam governments) by which time equality will be achieved. There's even a bold assertion that civil unions will happen under a Liberal government sooner than a Labor government, due to resistance in the latter from old-school Catholic unionists.
Which brings us to the Iemma government. After 12 years of an administration that, even by its own admission, "has more work to do" (a euphemism, perhaps, for wasted opportunities, economic mismanagement and prolonged incompetence) why aren't the Liberals streets ahead in opinion polls? Mandla is actually encouraged by the Liberals' underdog position: "I just love those polls - we're exactly where I want us to be. People are becoming more and more angry that the government could be returned, and increasingly I see people who have never voted Liberal, who may secretly do that for the first time. I love it."
As for his main opponent, Clover Moore, Mandla admits that although he once held this "folk hero" in high esteem as a social champion, he argues that as both the Member for Sydney (formerly Bligh) and the city's Lord Mayor, she simply doesn't have time to "chain herself to trees in Rushcutters Bay"; to represent her constituents as she used to. He believes that Moore has lost hitherto-held respect since taking on two jobs, and claims to be tapping into a well of disgruntled voters who supported her at the last election but now seek a "full-time" member.
Does he believe he can beat Clover? "I'm narrowing the gap. But I have a $50,000 budget - money I raised personally - and I'm up against her 90k-a-month public relations budget. You saw what happened in Mardi Gras, that's what I'm up against. It's hard."
Still, Mandla exudes the confidence one would expect from a successful, self-made businessman, and it's difficult to doubt his conviction that the only way the Liberal Party will improve its generally appalling history on GLBTI rights is for 'new blood' to join up and, over time, chip away at entrenched homophobic policy.
"These things don't happen overnight", he says, which is certainly true. (They also shouldn't take 11 years, which is how long queers have had to wait for their government to address discriminatory Commonwealth legislation.)
With accusations from his staff that the queer media give the Liberal Party 'a rough time', what's the one key, unedited message Edward Mandla wants to get across to SX readers? "Call me!"
It's an open invitation, as the man is keen to consult with his prospective electorate - so go nuts, everyone.
And as a final suggestion: "Don't be afraid to put a 1 in the Liberal box, even if you've never done so before. You don't even have to tell anyone - just make sure you do it."

Save Crown Street Reservoir Rally this Saturday

2007-02-21T15:55:00.000+11:00

LINK HANDS TO SAVE THE CROWN STREET RESERVOIR THIS SATURDAY - AN URGENT APPEAL LINK HANDS TO SAVE THE RESERVOIR AN URGENT APPEAL FOR YOUR SUPPORT

This Saturday February 24th the Shadow Minister for Planning and Redfern Waterloo, Chris Hartcher will visit residents protesting the subdivision and sale of the Crown Street Reservoir. The purpose of the shadow minister’s visit is to be briefed by residents on the issue and to make a statement on the future of the reservoir site.

Show the visiting shadow minister and media the extent of resident opposition to the subdivision and sale of the Crown Street Reservoir. Be at the gates when the Shadow Minister and media contingent are in attendance.Residents plan to link hands and form a human chain across the Crown Street frontage of the reservoir. This is a potent symbol of how the community has come together and is united in our determination to protect this historic landmark.

Show your support and be there.In the heat of an election campaign the NSW Government will have to respond to any promises made by the opposition. It only through showing the depth and strength of community opposition to the subdivision and sale of the reservoir that we can get promises to save it! Please arrive at the gates of the Crown Street Reservoir by 1.00pm. CRAG will be there as usual from 10.00am.

The shadow minister and media are expected at 2.00pm.The gates of the reservoir are located on Crown Street Surry Hills between Reservoir and Campbell Sts. Bring your friends and family.Visibility is everything. Bring banners and placards to decorate the gates. Make the most of this opportunity to save the Crown Street Reservoir.

Crown Reservoir Action Group [crag@unwired.com.au]

eCouncillor update

2007-02-01T19:11:00.000+11:00

A few eCouncillor regulars have been contacting me asking where is eCouncillor!!

Over the Christmas break we have been working to relaunch the www.shaynemallard.com web site and blog after technical headaches with this site (ie like inability to upload pictures). We plan to be back on a more regular basis in February as the Council returns to the conveyor belt of reports and outcomes. Please stay tuned. Shayne

PS Here I am with my partner Jesper and the mighty Ashes urn! Too get so close was a treat at the South Sydney 'Rabbitohs' charity cricket day held at South Sydney's Allan davidson Oval earlier in January. Congratulations to Peter Holmes aCourt and his team on supporting the community and broadening the offering for the Rabbitohs fans.

Do the Jazz and Symphony in Domain by bike

2007-01-09T18:36:00.000+11:00

It takes time but City of Sydney is rolling out pro bicycle policies throughout the organisation and our activities. The announcement below is an overdue but welcome addition:

The City of Sydney is encouraging people to cycle to the Sydney Festival's Jazz and Symphony in the Domain concerts this year for a hassle free and healthy transport option.
For the first time, free bike racks will be provided at both concerts, courtesy of the City of Sydney.
Chair of the Sydney Festival, Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said this year's fantastic Sydney Festival brings some of the world's best artists together in our beautiful city, the cultural capital of Australia.

The popular free concerts draw large crowds to the City. Riding your bike to the event is an easy and convenient way to get there. Cycling to the city also helps keep Sydney's air clean and reduces traffic congestion.

Cycling is also great for your health and fitness - the top two issues for New Year's resolutions by Sydneysiders.

The free secure parking area will be for up to 320 bicycles.
City of Sydney will also be giving away free bike pumps to the first 20 cyclists to use the bicycle parking facility at each Domain Concert.

Jazz in the Domain, Saturday 13th January
Symphony in the Domain, Saturday 20th January

The bike racks will be open from 3:30pm - 11:15pm (the concerts commence at 8pm and finish around 10:30pm)

The secure bicycle parking area is located behind the stage, on the corner of Art Gallery and Hospital Roads. Access from Art Gallery Road.
While the bicycle racks will be within a fenced area patrolled by security, cyclists are required to supply their own bike locks/chains to secure their bikes to the rack.
The City of Sydney is a Principal Supporter of the Sydney Festival.

More info here

Brothel Closure a win for Residents

2006-12-10T08:39:00.000+11:00

The decision by the chief justice of the Land and Environment Court to close the Potts Point brothel Misty's has reassured long suffering residents in the area that the law can protect their rights to enjoy security and comfort in their neighbourhood. The decision forces the current operator to leave the site within a few months although unfortunately it does not extinguish the right for the site to continue as a brothel under another operator.
The former pro sex industry South Sydney Council approved the brothel to operate under a different owner in 1998. It should never have done also being located in the heart of a residential area, surrounded by modern apartments and directly next door to a girls high school. Any new operator will be on notice after this landmark case and be warned to proceed with great caution to move into the site which would be much better suited as residential.

It has been noted by several observant residents that so called local publicity seeking heritage experts have claimed credit on this case in usual dial a quote style. Speaking with residents and checking the court proceedings (available on Council's web site link below) they appear conspicuously absent. It is hard to see the publicity driven link between a brothel and so this so called heritage band wagon. Some have suggested it is up there with opposing walking dogs in parks and night clubs in the centre of the Cross. This court case was about residential safety, law and order, public confidence in our planning and legal systems and nothing to do with heritage.

Council report Item 4 here.

Judge orders brothel to shut

Justin NorrieDecember 8, 2006
THE future of dozens of NSW brothels is in doubt after a court decision to shut a Potts Point sex business whose clients regularly disturbed the neighbourhood.
In a judgement that sets a precedent for the sex industry, the NSW Land and Environment Court has ordered the Tusculum Street "massage and masturbation" parlour, Misty's, to shut within four months after complaints by neighbours about late-night disturbances.
It was the first time the court has used its power to make an order under the recently enacted section 17(1) of the Restricted Premises Act . The section allows councils to apply to the court to have a brothel shut where it operates within view of a church, hospital or school and interferes with the public amenity.
Residents and students at the adjoining Catholic girls' boarding school, St Vincent's College, had frequently complained to City of Sydney Council about "antisocial behaviour including urinating, fighting, using offensive language, throwing rubbish and intimidating residents and students", said the court's chief justice, Brian Preston.
The operator of the brothel, Suzelle Antic, did not respond to a request for an interview yesterday. The Herald understands she plans to appeal against the ruling, which also ordered that her business pay the council's $60,000 legal costs.
The Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, said the decision was a warning to all rogue brothel operators.
More than 30 witnesses testified against the Potts Point brothel, which has boasted in advertisements that it has "50 Ladies! Now 10 rooms!"
They were supported by the Potts Point & Kings Cross Heritage Conservation Society president, Andrew Woodhouse, who said: "Brothel owners everywhere should be alert and alarmed about this. We're not against sex; we're for residents. This decision - a major first - potentially affects hundreds of brothels in the state."
Two private investigators hired by Misty's who gave evidence admitted to the court that they had seen groups of young men "smashing bottles on the road, hitting a road and traffic sign with a stick, urinating on trees in Tusculum Street, on nearby apartment block walls and even on the tyres of the private investigators' car."
Chief Justice Preston was unswayed by the opinion of a social planner, Dr Rigmor Berg, who argued the closure would mean that "in the short term, men would not be able to relieve their sexual frustration at Misty's."

2006-12-06T13:00:00.000+11:00

"Sydney's Own Dear Clover is More a a Mixture of Respect and Fear"

Scandals: He's not our MOM

Melbourne's Lord Mayor, John So, has been named the World's Most Outstanding Mayor, but we're here to dispute the claim before it goes to the Second City's head. We reckon Melburnians rorted the poll in some way.
As we understand the situation, Melbourne's infatuation with So is a mixture of respect for his management skills and amusement at his cuteness (Sydney's view of Our Own Dear Clover is more a mixture of respect and fear). During the Commonwealth Games, Them Down There wore T-shirts bearing So's name and wrote songs dedicated to him. Now, it seems, they've overwhelmed an international website.
So's triumph was announced yesterday by a group called City Mayors, who said he had been voted the best from among 677 civic leaders. Over five months earlier this year, City Mayors polled 103,000 people (or roughly 0.000016 per cent of the world's population). So got more than 16,000 votes, enabling him to join such previous winners as Edi Rama of Tirana, Albania, who went on to become the country's opposition leader.
Did anyone in Sydney even know about this contest? We're sure Clover Moore would have at least 16,000 supporters willing to cast an anonymous vote to get their mayor some worldwide recognition next year. The campaign starts now: Clover for MOM in '07! Prepare to vote on worldmayor.com. Ballots open sometime in June, we think.

Frank does not get it all his way with CSPC Amendments

2006-11-23T17:26:00.000+11:00

eCouncillor has been working for the past few days upsetting Planning Minister Frank Sartor's apple cart as he works to take all developments in NSW. Sartor's intention in the original amendment to the City of Sydney Act was to make all 4 government appointees (of the 7 Central Sydney Planning Committee members) his total control to appoint. We managed to make that a little more difficult for him.

Thanks go to Liberal Parliamentarians Don Harwin MLC and Greg Pearce MLC (as well as Shadow Minister Chris Hartcher) for supporting the campaign.

For those interested some background note are included at the bottom of the Hansard extract for information.

-----Original Message-----From: Shayne Mallard Sent: Thursday, 23 November 2006 3:15 PMSubject: Report - Hansard Legislative Council - CSPC amendments

Dear Councillors

Following from the Council motion on Monday night, John McInerney and I have worked tirelessly over the past few days to highlight and if possible change the amendments to the membership of the CSPC. Last night the Bill went through the Legislative Council and I am pleased to inform you that as a result of the pressure the Council, Institute of Architects, Planning Institute and others have applied to the Minister over the proposed changes that a compromise was offered via a government initiated amendment moved by Fred Nile MLC being -
((3) At least one of the senior State government employees appointed under subsection (1) (c) must be either the Director-General of the Department of Planning or a senior executive officer of the Department of Planning.)

The amendment in effect largely guarantees the CSPC and Council the continued direct strategic link to the highest levels of the Department of Planning. On the issue of the Government Architect we were able extract a written and Hansard recorded guarantee from the Minister that he had 'no intention of removing the Government Architect' from the CSPC.

regards

Shayne

PS I have highlighted in the Hansard below a reference to our Council. There were many of those last night but this one is of interest.

Subject: Hansard Legislative Council - CSPC amendments

The Hon. GREG PEARCE [7.20 p.m.] by leave: I move Opposition amendments Nos 1, 2 and 3:No. 1 Page 21, schedule 2 [4], lines 12Â31. Omit all words on those lines. Insert instead:[4] Section 34 Members of Planning CommitteeOmit section 34 (3).No. 2 Page 22, schedule 2 [11] and [12], lines 20Â24. Omit all words on those lines.No. 3 Page 24, schedule 2 [19], proposed clause 33, lines 20Â25. Omit all words on those lines.The intention of the amendment is to prevent the change to the Central Sydney Planning Committee membership and appointment process outlined in the bill. I will not want to speak to this amendment at length because I put most of my argument in the second reading debate. However, I want to clear up one issue, and that is in relation to the Government Architect. In my second reading speech I spoke about the Government Architect being a member of the committee. What in fact has happened, I am assured by everyone involved, is that the Government Architect has been appointed as a matter of routine; indeed, the Government's second reading speech assured us that the Government chooses to appoint the Government Architect as one of its appointments, and the Minister has advised that he has no intention of removing the Government Architect from that appointment.That begs the question: Why have the amendment at all if the intention is to continue to have the benefit of the Government Architect as a member of the committee? There seems to be no good reason for the amendment.
I note that councillors John McInerney and Shayne Mallard are in the Chamber. They are very concerned about this matter, as is the city council. I said in my speech to the second reading debate last night that the council had moved a motion, which was passed by 9 votes to 1, supporting the amendments that the Opposition is putting today. That motion was supported by Councillor Verity Firth of the Australian Labor Party, who I am told will be a candidate for the seat of Balmain in the 2007 elections. I am told also that Verity is President Burgmann's favourite niece. So she obviously has a great deal of sense, and her recommendation not to support the amendment, which gives more power to Minister Sartor, is noted. The other member of the committee is the director of the Department of Planning, and we support that continuing membership as well.
The Hon. TONY KELLY (Minister for Justice, Minister for Juvenile Justice, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Lands, and Minister for Rural Affairs) [7.21 p.m.]: The Government does not support the Opposition amendments as they would take us back to a complicated and barely workable provision such as we have in the City of Sydney Act for the appointment of independent and non-government members. The bill provides for a better mix of expertise for independent and senior Government members than the status quo proposed by the Opposition.It is important to note that the Government-appointed Central Sydney Planning Committee [CSPC] members initiated these changes with a proposal for eight separate changes to the bill. Suggestions that these changes are an attempt to assert greater authority are simply incorrect. In fact, the Minister specifically did not include a number of changes requested by CSPC members as it was thought those might cause antagonism with the council. As was outlined in the second reading speech in the other place, the current legislation does not specifically nominate the Government Architect as a government member of the CSPC. The reason he is on the committee is that the Government chooses to appoint him. The Minister in the other place gave a specific assurance in the second reading speech that the Minister had no intention of removing the Government Architect as one of the Government nominees. The Government opposes the amendment.
Ms SYLVIA HALE [7.23 p.m.]: The Greens support the amendments. The Opposition's amendments are identical with circulated Greens amendments 11, 12 and 13. It really is ironic that the Central Sydney Planning Committee should comprise seven people, three of whom are elected councillors and four of whom are Government appointees. Clearly, the Government has the power virtually to direct what happens at those committee meetings. When Ms Jennifer Westacott was Director General of Planning she made a point of attending virtually every meeting of the planning committee. Since Mr Haddad has been director general, I understand he is yet to attend one meeting. No doubt this is because of the amount of work that the Department of Planning is now experiencing as bio-developers rush to ask the Government to declare projects to be major part 3A projects or to declare concept approvals.One interesting point I have discovered from reading the Government's literature over a period of time is that, although developments being called in by the department are consuming so much of the director general's time, the average time the department takes to make a decision is seven months. Yet councils are berated because they do not come up with decisions on equally large projects within 40 days. That indicates the double standards adopted by the Government on so many matters. As I have indicated, circulated Greens amendments 11, 12 and 13 are identical with these Opposition amendments, and therefore we support them.
The Hon. TONY KELLY (Minister for Justice, Minister for Juvenile Justice, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Lands, and Minister for Rural Affairs) [7.25 p.m.]: I should mention that Reverend the Hon. Fred Nile has foreshadowed an amendment. I indicate that the Government will be supporting his sensible amendment. I understand that his amendment cannot be moved unless these Opposition amendments are defeated.The CHAIR: Reverend the Hon. Fred Nile can move his amendment now. However, if he does and the Opposition amendments are carried, his amendment will lapse. Reverend the
Hon. FRED NILE [7.26 p.m.]: I move Christian Democratic Party amendment on sheet C-088:Page 21, schedule 2 [4]. Insert after line 31:(3) At least one of the senior State government employees appointed under subsection (1) (c) must be either the Director-General of the Department of Planning or a senior executive officer of the Department of Planning.As I said earlier, and as has been picked up by the Hon. Greg Pearce, many red herrings have been raised regarding this bill, from cover to cover, and we have been given considerable misleading information. For instance, we were advised that the Government was ruthlessly scrapping the Government Architect and the Director General of the Department of Planning as members of the planning committee. So we all assumed that they were on the planning committeeÂuntil I read the City of Sydney Act of 1988, No. 48. Surprise! Surprise! The Government Architect is not mentioned anywhere in that Act. He may be appointed by the Minister, and he may have been able to attend meetings in the past, but apparently he has not attended. Minister Sartor has indicated in advice to me that he has no objection to the Government Architect being appointed at some time. The Minister has discretion to appoint the Government Architect or another person, as is provided for in the bill as follows:The Minister administering Part 4 of the Planning Act is to obtain the concurrence of the Minister administering the Public Works Act 1912 before appointing a senior State government employee under subsection (1) (c) if the employee is appointed because of his or her expertise in architecture or civic design.I would imagine that could provide for appointment of the Government Architect, or perhaps another person with the same qualifications or with even greater expertise or knowledge if that is required for the planning of the city of Sydney.
The Hon. TONY KELLY (Minister for Justice, Minister for Juvenile Justice, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Lands, and Minister for Rural Affairs) [7.28 p.m.]: Now that Reverend the Hon. Fred Nile has moved his amendment, I point out that the Government welcomes his amendment, which clarifies the ongoing important nexus between the Department of Planning and the Central Sydney Planning Committee. It ensures that one of the Government representatives is either the Director General of the Department of Planning or a member of the executive of the Department of Planning. This amendment addresses some perceived concerns on this matter, and it is supported by the Government.QuestionÂThat Opposition amendments Nos 1, 2 and 3 be agreed toÂput.The Committee divided.
Ayes, 18
Mr BreenDr Chesterfield-EvansMr ClarkeMr CohenMs CusackMr GallacherMiss Gardiner
Mr GayMs HaleMr LynnMr Mason-CoxMs ParkerMrs PaveyMr Pearce
Ms RhiannonMr RyanTellers,Mr CollessMr Harwin
Noes, 23
Mr BrownDr BurgmannMs BurnswoodsMr CatanzaritiMr CostaMr Della BoscaMr DonnellyMs Griffin
Mr HatzistergosMr JenkinsMr KellyMr MacdonaldReverend Dr MoyesReverend NileMr ObeidMr Oldfield
Ms RobertsonMr RoozendaalMs SharpeMr TsangDr WongTellers,Mr PrimroseMr West
Question resolved in the negative.Amendments negatived.Christian Democratic Party amendment No. 1 agreed to.Schedule 2 as amended agreed to.Schedule 3 agreed to.Title agreed to.Bill reported from Committee with an amendment and report adopted.
Third Reading
The Hon. TONY KELLY (Minister for Justice, Minister for Juvenile Justice, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Lands, and Minister for Rural Affairs) [7.37 p.m.]: I move:That this bill be now read a third time.The House divided.
Ayes, 22
Mr BrownMs BurnswoodsMr CatanzaritiMr CostaMr Della BoscaMr DonnellyMs FazioMs Griffin
Mr HatzistergosMr JenkinsMr KellyMr MacdonaldReverend Dr MoyesReverend NileMr OldfieldMs Robertson
Mr RoozendaalMs SharpeMr TsangDr WongTellers,Mr PrimroseMr West
Noes, 18
Mr BreenDr Chesterfield-EvansMr ClarkeMr CohenMs CusackMr GallacherMiss Gardiner
Mr GayMs HaleMr LynnMr Mason-CoxMs ParkerMrs PaveyMr Pearce
Ms RhiannonMr RyanTellers,Mr CollessMr Harwin
Question resolved in the affirmative.Motion agreed to.Bill read a third time.[The President left the chair at 7.40 p.m. The House resumed at 8.30 p.m.]
http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/PARLMENT/hansArt.nsf/V3Key/LC20061122050

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

BACKGROUND NOTES

Environmental Planning Legislation Amendment Bill 2006

City of Sydney opposes the weakening of ÂindependenceÂ of the Central Sydney Planning Committee (CSPC) through amendments contained in the Bill.

Background: CSPC deals with all developments with value above $50 Million eg Westfield Centre point ($430 M) and has a guarantee veto over the LEP (new or amendments) for City of Sydney.

CSPC was created by the Greiner Government to take some of the Council politics out of important economic driver projects in the City and has been largely successful in doing this - even under Frank Sartor as Lord Mayor.

Current City of Sydney Act says the membership of CSPC is (S34):
1(a) the Lord Mayor of Sydney,
(b) a senior government employee with architectural experience nominated by the Minister administering the Public Works Act 1912,
(c) 2 councillors of the City of Sydney elected by the City Council,
(d) the Director of Planning under the Planning Act, and
(e) 2 persons appointed, subject to subsection (2), by the Minister administering Part 4 of the Planning Act.

Bold above indicates the two positions on the CSPC who are members by virtue of their senior and relevant government positions as public servants.

Note that (d) has always resulted in the appointment of the Government Architect since 1988 and is currently respected architect Mr Peter Mould.

The balance and relative independence of the CSPC is being weakened by the amendment to give the Minister absolute control on appointment of all 4 government members.

The amendment to the CSPC in the Bill - Sec 34 (1) ÂMembers of Planning CommitteeÂ - Council representatives is unchanged (3 including Lord Mayor as chair).

Amendment Bill - (c) defines the government appointees to the CSPC as
Â4 persons (2 of whom are senior State Government employees and 2 of whom are not State or local government employees) appointed by the Minister administering Part 4 of the Planning Act, each having expertise in at least one of architecture, building, civic design, construction, engineering, transport, tourism, the arts, planning or heritage.Â

The CSPC discussed this issue last Thursday night and there are strong reservations about removing the ex-officio membership of the Government Architect and the Director General of Planning (or their alternates) from the CSPC.

The minuted views of four of the 7 members (Moore, McInerney, Mallard and La Marchant) was that the Government Architect provided invaluable professional insight and leadership for the CSPC and City as the stateÂs top architect and that the DG of Planning provided an invaluable direct linkage to the Department on a critical strategic level for the City.

Both the DG of Planning and the Government Architect are viewed as relatively independent public servants appointed by virtue of their senior positions in the government and not by patronage of the Minister of the day as is now proposed under the amendments.

The Minister has now claimed that the DG of Planning is too busy to attend CSPC meetings. However he sends his appointed alternate Ms Petula Samios.

Because of the seniority of the appointment and it being a legislated position the Department of Planning resources the position to a high standard. This gives the CSPC and Council direct lines of communication to the highest strategic levels of the DOP.

Note that the City of Sydney is the only local government area that is a stand alone sub-region in the metro-strategy and accounts for 18% of the national GDP. The amendments to the Act will sever or at least weaken this strategic relationship between CSPC/Council and the government.

Removal of the Government Architect is also a serious issue for the Architecture profession and its direct role and leadership in the shape and function of the City of Sydney into the future.

Dr Deborah Dearing President of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects has written to all MLCÂs expressing their opposition to the amendments.

We refer you to todayÂs page 3 SMH article reporting these concerns.

City of Sydney Council meeting on Monday night adopted the following resolution 9 : 1 with two ALP supporting the motion and Clr Michael Lee lone in opposing.

ÂThe Council notes the amendments to the City of Sydney Act currently before the Parliament that remove the ex-officio appointment to the CSPC of the Director General (or alternate) of the Department of Planning and the Âsenior government employee with architecture experienceÂ that has always been the appointment of the Government Architect of the day. The Council joins with four of the CSPC members in expressing concern about these amendments and calls upon the Minister for Planning to not amend the provisions of the current Act (s34) as it is highly desirable for the City of Sydney to retain the direct relationship of the CSPC and Council with the Director General of the Department of Planning and the Government Architect.Â

Buses & Light Rail needed in CBD

2006-11-23T08:55:00.000+11:00

eCouncillor is pleased to see the Iemma Government moving to address public transport over-load and grid lock in the CBD with the (re) announcement of bus lanes, interchanges and priority in the CBD (see SMH article below). I fully support the City of Sydney's campaign to have a light rail loop built in the CBD from Central station to Circular Quay. There is debate about the true cost benefits of a light rail loop. But there is little doubt that after the initial capital investment is accounted for the system will help alleviate the grid lock of buses in the CBD and provide a more coherent transport loop for internal CBD travel. As I walk around the CBD each day I am distressed at the aggression and speed of the government buses as they race along George and Elizabeth Streets. Every day I witness government buses running red lights and blocking pedestrian access at the park Street intersections with both Elizabeth and George. Creating a strong east west interchange at park Street seems to make sense and interconnecting it with underground heavy rail and surface light rail will build a world class public transport hub. Not forgetting taxis that provide an important public transport element. The government will have to work with Council on a new location for the large and popular Park Street taxi ranks if the space is needed for bus stops.

eCouncillor is pleased that Gladys Berejiklian MP has been appointed the Shadow Minister for Transport by Peter Debnam. This is a critical portfolio and has been held by high profile opposition members including Debnam himself and Barry O'Farrell. One of Gladys' first media statements as the new spokesperson was to reaffirm the Liberal commitment to building the Central to Circular Quay light rail loop.

Buses rule in city transport plan Sydney Morning Herald

Other related coverage
Iemma's poll ticket: $660m transport fix
Long road ahead to better transport

Jordan Baker Transport ReporterNovember 23, 2006

See map of CBD changes here.

CARS would be squeezed out of the city under the State Government's plan to create more bus lanes, reduce parking and potentially close five blocks of George Street to private traffic.
Buried in the detail of the Urban Transport Statement, released this week, are radical plans to manage growing bus congestion in Sydney by increasing their share of the city's main streets.
However, critics warn the plan would turn the city into a bus terminal.
Under the proposal, a mid-city interchange would be built on Park Street between George and Pitt streets in 2007-08, and would operate like the interchanges at Central or Circular Quay.
The Government says the interchange would not be a structure, rather a terminus for east-west routes to service buses running on George Street.
But an extra bus stop on each side is likely to reduce the amount of Park Street available to traffic, again creating an obstacle on the key east-west alternative to the Cross City Tunnel.
The most radical proposal is for a large chunk of George Street - between Market and Bridge streets - to become a transit mall, traditionally an area closed to private traffic.
The statement calls for a feasibility study in 2008-09. Options could include closing the street to cars at peak hour.
Another measure is the establishment of two-way bus lanes along the length of George and Elizabeth streets between Central and Circular Quay, which the Government says would cut 13 minutes off journey times.
Buses would be removed from Castlereagh Street. The statement pledges to reduce surface traffic by cutting on-street parking and increasing its cost, and amalgamating smaller bus stops into big bus bays.
Kevin Warrell, the chief executive of Metro Transport, which runs Sydney's light rail system and has the first option for the next light rail line, said the plan was "more of the same".
"Taking the road space to turn Sydney into a bus terminal doesn't exactly seem the best way to plan Sydney's transport to me," he said.
"Putting more and more buses into the city has quite bad effects on the environment. It's the centre of our beautiful city and they're turning it into a bus terminal because they've got an obsession with buses."
A Government argument against light rail has long been the need to quarantine George and Elizabeth streets from general traffic, but light rail advocates say this plan would take up just as much room.
The NSW executive director of the Property Council, Ken Morrison, whose group is part of a coalition lobbying for a long-term solution to the city's congestion, said he wanted more.
"What's proposed here is a logical thing to be doing Â" he said. "But it's not going to be sufficient to provide for growth.
"We have some fairly bullish growth projections in terms of jobs, tourism and residents. It is likely to require higher-capacity public transport systems to meet them. It may be light rail, it may be metro."
The statement listed a metro line as a long-term possibility, but did not commit to it. Modelled on the Paris Metro system, it would cater for high-demand inner-city areas such as the east and inner west, or main western centres.

The City of Sydney's Light rail strategy -

Light Rail

Great cities require well resourced, efficient and integrated transport systems which link communities to each other, workers to their workplaces, residents and visitors to the cityÂs amenities and tourist features and businesses to goods, services and markets within the city, the region and the global economy. The City of Sydney requires integrated public transport systems (heavy rail, metro rail, light rail, buses, ferries) suited to a global city of the 21st century.
Patronage on public transport and road use in the City and inner suburbs has increased significantly in recent years, with continued employment and population growth. Our existing transport systems are already at capacity and cannot cope with projected future population growth.
The City commissioned a report on mass transit that recommends:
key corridors linking the city with the inner suburbs from Bondi to Parramatta;
extension of the current line from Central to Circular Quay;
reorganising bus routes to act as feeders and to increase the number of cross regional bus services;
limiting parking levels in the CBD in commercial parking stations at current levels and providing incentives to minimise parking provided in new developments;
providing additional park and ride opportunities at strategic locations, especially on the light rail routes to encourage car drivers to use public transport;
providing wider footpaths and cycle lanes in city streets and other locations with the light rail network;
adding at least one kilometre of pedestrianised streets to the city centre by 2021 and;
supporting the development of car sharing, individual travel marketing schemes and other travel demand management strategies.

More here on COS website

eCouncillor on Light rail

Benefits of increased Cycling

2006-11-10T08:16:00.000+11:00

More from my friends in Odense, Denmark with evidence of the health and subsequent economic benefits of increased participation in cycling in the workforce. The economic argument is having more bite with the treasury and rationalist planners of most western cities including in Australia.

Unfortunately the NSW State government is lagging behind Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane in seeing the economic benefits of increased cycling in the workforce. Troels Andersen who is in charge of the cycling programs in Odense travels the world talking about the success and benefits of increased cycling has bought to the Danish city. eCouncillor met Troels at the Bicycle Federation of Australia conference held in Brisbane last year where he presented on the Odense experience. Good links above that can keep cycling advocates surfing all weekend! Bt the weather looks too good so might go for a ride.

3 November 2006
Biking helps cut down on sick days

Efforts to make the city of Odense more bike-friendly are showing results - fewer people are calling in sick
Odense Cycle City, an ongoing, multi-million kroner effort to improve conditions for bicycle commuters, is proving to be a good investment.
Begun in 1999, project initiatives include improved bike paths, free air pumps set up around the city, and a website where commuters can do everything from finding a new bike to warning each other about potholes.
The programme cost the city DKK 20 million (EUR 2.68 million) and has transformed Odense into one of Denmark's most bike friendly cities, increasing the number of two-wheeled commuters in the city of 186,000 by an estimated 25,000 per day.
Additional statistics showing that car ownership has increased at a slower pace in Odense than in the rest of Denmark may have city fathers seeing green, but their efforts also have a financial benefit - active citizens are low-cost citizens.
Odense estimates that over the past four years, a decrease in the number of sick days has saved DKK 33 million (EUR 4.4 million) in health service costs and unemployment benefits.
Thanks to biking, say project leaders, Odense residents have fewer broken bones and fewer tumours than average.
'We have a lower death rate in Odense. People are living longer and we know that illnesses related to physical inactivity have fallen,' said Troels Andersen, the head of the Odense Cycle City programme.
The Copenhagen Post

US mid-term elections - lessons for Australian politics?

2006-11-08T18:55:00.000+11:00

At the risk of antagonising the 'stick to Council issues' eCouncillor readers I will delve slightly on tonight's US election results. It is difficult to compare US results with any lessons for Australia particularly given the nature of politics under the USA non-compulsory voting system. An interesting release from Log Cabin Republicans (Gay and Lesbian Republicans, their friends, families and supporters) below. Was it Iraq or social conservatism that turned the result? Will Australia's major political parties under the growing influence of the religious conservatives heed the warning from the LCR? Inner city residents continue to raise these issues with their Councillors.

"The social extremists have taken our Party off track. They're largely to blame for what happened in this election. They should step out of the way and let mainstream Republicans bring our Party back to its core principles. That's how we'll win again." LCR

News ReleaseFor Immediate Release
November 7, 2006

Log Cabin Republicans Blast Social Conservatives for Causing Defeat in House

GOP House Leaders Lost Sight of What Brought our Party to Power
(Washington, DC)—"Republicans lost this election because independent voters abandoned the GOP," said Log Cabin Executive Vice President Patrick Sammon. "Social conservatives drove the GOP's agenda the last several years. Their divisive agenda alienated the mainstream Republicans and independents who determined this election's outcome. Social conservatives should take responsibility for this loss."
"Democrats didn't win because of anything they stood for. They won because of Republican mistakes," said Sammon. "GOP leaders lost sight of what brought our Party to power in 1994. Limited government, lower spending, high ethical standards and accountability, and other unifying GOP principles attracted a broad coalition of support including fiscal conservatives, social conservatives, mainstream Republicans, libertarians, and independents. Now we've lost the U.S. House because Party leaders turned their backs on the GOP's core principles and catered only to social conservatives."
"Our Party's Congressional leaders drove over the bridge to nowhere and left their principles behind," said Sammon. "The Republicans lost touch with the issues that matter to mainstream voters. The American people lost confidence in the GOP's ability to govern because of misplaced priorities and ethical scandals. The Party should've focused on core kitchen table issues that impact voters' lives. Instead of cutting spending, cleaning up lobbying rules, reforming immigration laws, or balancing the budget, GOP leaders catered to the fringe on wedge issues such as the anti-marriage amendment and the Terri Schiavo case," said Sammon.
A failure to articulate a clear policy on the Iraq war was also a major factor in this defeat. And the ethical problems of some Congressmen caused voters to turn on the GOP. "These results show us that character counts. Our Party must nominate candidates who have the integrity worthy of their office," said Sammon.
Log Cabin Republicans across America worked hard to elect inclusive GOP candidates to all levels of government. Our members donated their time, talent, and financial resources to support inclusive Republicans. "Log Cabin congratulates our allies who won their elections, including Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA), Gov. Jodi Rell (R-CT), Gov. Linda Lingle (R-HI), and Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (R-OH). Unfortunately, an anti-GOP mood swept out some good mainstream Republicans such as Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), Nancy Johnson (R-CT), and Charlie Bass (R-NH).
"Log Cabin is more committed than ever to helping bring our Party back to power in Congress," said Sammon. "The social extremists have taken our Party off track. They're largely to blame for what happened in this election. They should step out of the way and let mainstream Republicans bring our Party back to its core principles. That's how we'll win again."
"A strategy that caters solely to a narrow group may win one election, but it won't create a permanent majority. The GOP spent the last several years catering to social extremists. But social conservative leaders will always bully and threaten instead of working for the Party's future," said Sammon. "They're an unreliable foundation who can't be trusted for long term support."
Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this. Tell-a-friend!
If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for Log Cabin Republicans.

and further the re-election of Governor Schwarzenegger

Log Cabin Congratulate Governor Schwarzenegger on Resounding Election Victory

Governor’s Victory Shows the Power of Inclusion

(Sacramento, CA) – “Log Cabin congratulates Governor Schwarzenegger for his re-election victory,” said Jeff Bissiri, Log Cabin’s California Director. “The Governor has reached out to all Californians including the gay and lesbian community. The Governor’s inclusive leadership is a model for other Republicans around the nation. His re-election shows that inclusion wins,” said Bissiri.

On a night when the national Republican Party suffered many defeats, Schwarzenegger’s victory shows that mainstream inclusive politics is a winning strategy. “The Governor’s agenda should be a model for other Republicans around the nation,” said Log Cabin Executive Vice President Patrick Sammon. “Schwarzenegger won this race by pursuing a positive common sense agenda that appealed to both conservatives and mainstream voters.”

Since taking office in 2003, Governor Schwarzenegger has signed over 20 bills supportive of the gay and lesbian community including expansion of domestic partnership rights, hate crimes protection, housing and employment non-discrimination laws, improving HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment strategies, and ending the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy in the state militia. The Governor has spoken out publicly against the anti-family Federal Marriage Amendment and has been one of the nation's leading voices advocating for a "Big Tent" Republican Party.

“Log Cabin proudly endorsed Governor Schwarzenegger. Many of our members across the state volunteered on his campaign and provided important financial support for him. We look forward to continuing our support for his efforts to bring people together and build an even brighter future for the state of California,” said Bissiri.

On June 29, 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger was guest of honor at an event to support the work of Log Cabin. He made history as the first Republican governor in California to speak to the gay and lesbian community. In a rousing speech, Schwarzenegger declared that he was "committed to being a Governor for all Californians" and was "proud to stand side by side with Log Cabin in their work to offer basic fairness for gay and lesbian citizens." He went on to say, "A person should only be limited by his dreams and not by his background, and not by his heritage and not by his sexual orientation...We are united in the values of love, tolerance, and understanding? working together we can create a better future for California where everybody matters and every family counts."

Dealing with bicycle congestion - not Sydney

2006-10-30T09:15:00.000+11:00

Copenhagen the 'City of Cyclists' with 33% of daily commuter trips to the CBD on bicycle - compared to 2% in Sydney (our bicycle plan aims to increase that to 10% by 2016). Copenhagen's cycling planners deal with challenges that do not confront Sydney's transport planners - yet. When eCouncillor visited Copenhagen Town Hall for a day and cycled around the city with the planners including Troels Andersen as they pointed out their difficulties including bicycle congestion at intersections, parking and balancing the right of way at key intersections. The congestion problem was causing the Council to widen major cycle lanes on some of Europes busiest bicycle lanes. In addition new lights separating out bicycle movements from other cars at intersection are installed in most locations. News today (below) that new 'green wave lanes' are being installed to assist with the smooth flow of bikes. 'Waves' have been trialed on Odense and were very successful. Sydney's not ready for them yes but maybe in 2020.

Cyclists riding a green wave A string of synchronised green lights promises to cut travel times on one of Europe's busiest bike lanes
Cyclists travelling along one of Copenhagen's most congested thoroughfares can now say goodbye to red lights and the stop-and-go of rush hour traffic. City officials unveiled the first 'green wave' lane for bikes in the NÃ¸rrebro neighbourhood Wednesday.
The green wave bike line times eleven traffic lights to match bicyclists average speed. Travel times on the 2.5 km stretch are expected to be reduced by three minutes.
Reducing travel time makes sense, according to civil engineer Troels Andersen, but the psychological effect of not constantly seeing red is even more important.
'If cyclists have to stop at every traffic light, they get fed up and feel unappreciated. In the worst case, they make the switch to cars,' he told daily newspaper dato.
A 'green wave' sign with a cyclist logo helps direct two-wheeled commuters from side streets to their express lane.
As morning traffic streams into the city, the green wave flows toward central Copenhagen. From noon until 6pm, the wave shifts directions and gives cyclists a speedy exit out.
Some 30,000 cyclists are expected to benefit from the system every day. Klaus Bondam, deputy mayor for environmental affairs, hopes the path will cement the Copenhagen as the world capital of commuter cycling.
'Copenhagen is going to be the world's best cycling city. And NÃ¸rrebrogade is probably one Europe's busiest bike lanes,' said Bondam.
The new lane requires cyclists to adjust their biking habits, however, according to Harry Lahrmann, a traffic researcher at Aalborg University.
'In order for a green wave to work, cyclists will have to ride at basically the same speed as everyone else. That's probably more difficult than for cars. A number of cyclists race ahead at 25 km per hour, so they won't get much out of the lane.'
Motorists, meanwhile, will have to grow used to the sight of cyclists overtaking them in rush hour traffic.
The Copenhagen Post

Sartor - Lord Mayor of NSW

2006-10-25T08:22:00.000+10:00

The ALP Minister for building personal empires - Frank Sartor (Planning actually) has been kicking down planning doors and community consultation processes all over NSW and seizing development projects from local government. Using unprecedented 'Section 3A' powers to remove planning decisions from democratically elected Councils and their democratically adopted and implemented planning codes (LEP's and DCP's) he has transferred the power over dozens of sites and projects worth millions to his in tray. In the City of Sydney eCouncillor readers will remember that he intervened to take the CUB site in Chippendale from the Council and in so doing served notice on his own CSPC planning hybrid that sits like a cuckoo in Council's nest. More on the CSPC soon with mooted changes to the City of Sydney Act. to increase the power of Frank's puppet Council.

Why is Frank pulling the wings off Council butterflies and trashing the landmark EP&A Act? Well we know his view on Councillors in that famously recorded conversation 'pissants'. After coming up through the ranks as a 'community independent' (som,thing I like to remind Clover and her team of) he quickly recognised the limitation of that career path and jumped in bed with the ALP - much to the horror of many ALP rank and file who had come to loath his arrogant approach as Lord Mayor. In return for his lifetime public funded pension as an ALP Minister, Frank had to deliver - he has had to push development in the state to stop the economy from sliding further behind the rest of Australia and even going into a state recession. When he seized the CUB site and its potential 3000 apartments eCouncillor predicted a hard hat and plans media pic op before the March 07 state election. 'Frank getting on with the job' or similar. It's been 3 months now and no obvious progress for all the hot air that Council (read Frank's CSPC) had been taking too long!

Elizabeth Farrelly in today's SMH in her usual frank (no pun) and inimitable style takes 3A to task. Reproduced below because it's worth reading:

3A projects add a new dimension to rules

Elizabeth Farrelly October 25, 2006

THE real problem with the arrogance that typically afflicts our upper echelons is not that it's offensive and tedious - which it is - but that it quickly becomes a learning disability, condemning sufferers to repeat their mistakes ad nauseam. That's if you weren't sick the first time.
Not surprisingly, the symptom is most marked in those who cocoon themselves with legions of head-patters, back-scratchers and toe rags. This makes Macquarie Street a hot spot. And sure, there are medics on hand. But they need your support, too. Not just your votes and taxes; they need your sympathy and understanding.
Which may be why they've bothered to mount the microscopic exhibition on the development formerly known as East Darling Harbour. You can visit or read the propaganda on the net.
But to fix your eyes on the substance of the 400-odd page document, since there's no takeout copy, it's back to the 54 slow-loading PDF files lined up like Daleks on the departmental website.
East Darling Harbour, or Barangaroo if you want its new moniker, is one of more than 70 projects in the metropolitan area - with as many again in the rest of the state - to be called in to the minister in the new planning legislation's first year.
Officially, some are "state significant" or "critical infrastructure". Others are merely "major projects". Colloquially, however, they're all known as "3A projects", after the part of the act under which they are arraigned; the part that gives the minister unprecedented discretion.
Because the economy's problem, as you know, is not that we spent two euphoric weeks peeing a gazillion up against the Olympics wall and are now in the decade of paying for it. The problem is that councils have consulted too wide and long with their constituents, impeding important development projects, starving the coffers and shrinking the economy.
So the Government was forced to add part 3A to the Planning Act "to facilitate infrastructure and other planning reform; and for other purposes".
At the time, no one took much notice. Since then, though, as developers crawl on broken glass to have projects 3A-listed and community after community has been stonewalled or sidelined, the rumblings have grown.
Quite properly, 3A projects include coalmines and wind-farms, road tunnels and rail terminals, hospitals and power stations. They also include cash oozing behemoths such as the Foster's site on Broadway and East Darling Harbour.

As well, hidden among 3A's smoke and mirrors are a number of lesser projects whose statewide significance isn't immediately obvious: the low-rise residential Pemulwuy Project on The Block in Redfern, which the minister has vocally opposed; the Government's development of the old Redfern school, which he presumably supports; a two-storey, six-unit building by Rose Corp at Canada Bay; a huge development, also by Rose Corp and refused by both council and court, on ecologically sensitive land at the coastal mining town of Catherine Hill Bay; the reviled Coca-Cola warehouse in Northmead; the 11-storey St Vinnie's Caritas residential development in Darlinghurst; the new law building at Sydney University; the Global Switch building in Ultimo; the Australian Film TV and Radio School building at Fox Studios; and the proposed lime and cement terminal at White Bay.
Less "infrastructure and planning reform", more "other purposes".
Which, of course, is where the arrogance comes in. Fast-tracking in NSW has left a trail of white-elephant skeletons, such as Darling Harbour and the airport rail link, but does the Government learn? No way.
The act gives the minister immense discretion about not just content, but publishing his criteria, or even his decision. At the same time it suspends, for the occasion, virtually all other planning legislation - conservation, heritage, bushfire, fisheries, coastal management and threatened species - and leaves the public with severely curtailed rights of appeal.
No wonder this is a club every developer in town wants to be in.
Less apparent, but no less significant, is the new 3A Alliance, a collection of disaffected and disenfranchised community groups. It's the first sign that planning in NSW may get muscular yet.
High on the 3A projects list is, of course, East Darling Harbour - renamed Barangaroo with the same cynicism that saw Harry Triguboff deliver his anti-tree rant with an Aboriginal painting as backdrop. After announcing the winning Hill Thalis Berkmeier competition scheme in March, the Government commissioned the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority to prepare a new East Darling Harbour Concept Plan.
It was always a gentle, polite kind of scheme. Now, with every soupcon of panache or personality (and virtually every mention of the architects) surgically removed, it recalls two sobering facts: that "concept plan" now means what you have when there is no concept; and that we still, as a culture, have huge difficulty shedding the suburban house-and-lawn mindset.
There's no commitment to any further consultation. Zero.
So while the blurb wishfully cites Bilbao, London's Southbank and Berlin's Potsdamer Platz as exemplars, it forgets that city-changing architecture needs flair, content and intense local flavour - plus, ideally, a Pritzker-winning architect.
A bit of warmed-over North Ryde office park, grown to 60 storeys, probably won't do it.
Elizabeth Farrelly writes on planning, architecture and aesthetics for the Herald.

Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Hungarian Uprising

2006-10-24T15:26:00.000+10:00

eCouncillor was honoured to attended the Church service at St Mary's cathedral organised by the Australian Hungarian community to mark the 50th anniversary of the anti-Soviet popular uprising in Budapest. It was a very moving service conducted in the presence of community and civic leaders including the Governor of NSW, the Hungarian ambassador to Australia and the HOn. Don Harwin MLC. An amazing choir of 60 people traveled to Australia to sing at the service.

The uprising (a decade before eCouncillor was born) was the brief flowering of democracy that was brutally crushed by a Soviet invasion. 33 years later the one party communists state would be dismantled in 1989. Australia was to benefit from the exodus of the intelligentsia escaping retribution and oppression under the communist return in 1956. One such refugee was the family of former Liberal Premier and business leader Nick Greiner AO.

Sadly the celebrations overnight in Budapest were not as united as Sydney's church service including the extraordinary scene when radical protesters seized a museum piece soviet era tank in the picture below.

Hungary police tackle protesters

Hungarian police faced protesters in a Soviet-era tank Hungarian police are tackling the remnants of a group of violent protesters who disrupted celebrations marking the 1956 anti-Soviet uprising.
Tear gas and rubber bullets were used to quell anti-government protests in Budapest, where officials laid flowers to mark the uprising 50 years ago.
Some protesters commandeered a tank taken from an uprising exhibition. Read more at BBC here

Wild Kids - the far side of Council

2006-10-23T14:06:00.000+10:00

Someone called Jake McPherson [jakemcpherson4456@hotmail.com] has taken the time to research my family name and send me this explanation via emails from the Australian Museum web site. He seems to think it's funny and so do I. Each day when I am called 'Duck' from preschool to today I think 'if only I had a dollar ...' . It's the name that has stuck and I'm quite fond of it. A former mayor used to refer to me as Councillor Fluffy Duck that inevitably was shortened to 'fluffy' to the confused looks of friends over post Council dinner. I even have a pretty good quality carved wooden hand painted Mallard in my Town Hall office on the shelf watching over me. Thanks Jake - it goes to show that not all correspondence is about parking police or garbage bins!

Wild kids

Mallards were introduced into Australia from the Northern Hemisphere and have been breeding with our native Pacific Black Duck.

Common name: Mallard Scientific name: Anas platyrhynchos Photo: A. Skates

Mallard

Mallards are ducks that live near ponds, lakes and dams on urban and rural land in south-eastern Australia. The males have a green head, yellow beak and chestnut coloured breast. The females are brown all over. They both have flat beaks with thin plates to sieve food particles out of the water. They have feet with three webbed toes and one very small back toe.
Mallards call with a loud quack.

This is a male Mallard swimming with some ducklings.

Mallards look for small plants and animals in the water. They use their beak to feel around in the muddy bottom of ponds, lakes and dams for food. On land they look for seeds, flowers, food scraps and insects in the morning and late afternoon.

Mallards make nests from a scrape on the ground lined with a small amount of grass. The female lays eight to twelve glossy, light green eggs that she sits on for 26 to 28 days. When the eggs hatch the ducklings are covered in soft down. They follow their parents to water within a day of hatching and can swim as soon as they reach water. The ducklings can feed themselves shortly after hatching and have feathers and are ready to fly in seven to eight weeks.

Copyright © Australian Museum, 2003

Front page debate for Liberal Women

2006-10-12T12:33:00.000+10:00

Federal Liberal Party President and a well known local Liberal party member, Chris McDiven has caused a stir in Canberra with her front page comments in today's Australian comparing Labor's first wives club to the Liberal party's successful election of female parliamentarians based only on merit. Read about it below. Chris and eCouncillor have traveled parallel political paths since the early 90's when Chris was President of the NSW Women's Council and I was President of the NSW Young Liberal Council. Subsequently Chris had several terms as the NSW State President and then to the Federal Presidency. Each position fought for in democratic ballots and won on hard work and merit. Chris has ruled out a parliamentary career after the repeated urgings of her supporters including eCouncillor.

The Australian

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20566215-2702,00.html

Top Lib mocks Labor's ex-wives club
Dennis Shanahan, Political editor
October 12, 2006

THE Liberal Party's first lady has taken a swipe at the Labor Party sisterhood, branding it an ex-wives' club that had got ahead by connections and embarrassing quotas.
The Liberal Party's federal president, Chris McDiven, has pulled no punches in her assessment of female Labor MPs as she prepares to celebrate Liberal women in cabinet.
"If you look at our women, they represent a wide selection of careers, career paths into parliament and a wide diversity of backgrounds, whereas if you look at the Labor women, you'll find that nearly everyone has got there through their family connections - they're 'wives of', 'ex-wives of', 'daughters of', 'sisters of'. It is an interesting comparison," Ms McDiven told The Australian yesterday.
Ms McDiven stepped into the media spotlight yesterday for the first time since she was elected 16 months ago as the Liberal Party's first female federal president.
A confessed "backroom girl" who has not sought election to parliament herself, the 58-year-old mother of two, former teacher, small businesswoman and investment manager also took pity on her ALP counterpart, NSW state MP Linda Burney, who is guaranteed a term as ALP president because of affirmative action.
Ms Burney ran last in the current four-way ALP presidency race - well behind former Labor leader Simon Crean - but will be given a turn as ALP president in 2009 while Mr Crean misses out.
"Personally I feel a bit sorry for Linda Burney," Ms McDiven said at the Liberal Party headquarters yesterday. "I feel much prouder that I have managed to get to this position on my merit. She's getting there, unfortunately for her, as a number on affirmative action. I don't think that will help her in the long term."
Ms McDiven, who ran a program training women candidates that is credited with doubling the number of women Liberal MPs at the 1996 election, said the Liberal way was to be elected on merit without quotas.
"Personally, if I had got myself into parliament because I was a 'number' I would not be completely satisfied with that," she said.
"I would like to think I got there on merit. Our women can hold their heads up and say they got there completely on merit."
Ms McDiven said many Labor MPs got into parliament on the back of family or marital connections but the Liberal Party was trying to encourage women to come forward and be elected on merit.
"When we set up the training program I learnt then that we had to go and find women; women tend not to put themselves forward," she said.
"We are seriously looking for women with talent to put themselves forward.
"I have spoken to Republican women in the US and the Conservative Party in the UK, they all say the same thing, men tend to put themselves forward."
Ms McDiven said she "got a buzz" when Julie Bishop was appointed as the first female Liberal cabinet minister from the House of Representatives and took pride in the record three women who were now in cabinet.
She said energetic new NSW senator Connie Fierravanti-Wells came through the Liberal program.
Ms McDiven said she did not believe gender had played a part in the contretemps in NSW over the state preselection battle for the high-profile Pru Goward.
She believed geographic reasons were important because the seat Ms Goward was now standing in, near Yass, was closer to where she lived.
Ms McDiven is attending a gala dinner tonight in Canberra to celebrate the record number of women in the Coalition cabinet.

Park the car and pedal

2006-09-22T11:46:00.000+10:00

More from the City of Cyclists. Go to the link detailing Copenhagen's love affair with cycling and down load the great short film directed by my friend Michael Thomas.

Park it and pedal

A new concept uses rent-a-cycles to solve city commuters' parking problems
A car park firm has come up with an answer to Copenhagen's inner city parking problems, using the nation's cycling tradition as the solution's vehicle.
ParkCity, owner of Denmark's largest car park, has developed a concept called Park & Pedal, which hopes to put the city's less-congested car parks to good use.
'The concept is that drivers can park their cars in our lot at Israels Place, and then have a bicycle there reserved for them for an extra 100 per month,' said Frank Nielsen, ParkCity's manager.
Park & Pedal allows the customer to keep the cycle as long as he or she likes, and they can return it when picking up their car again.
Nielsen said that there are many open parking spots at the underground lots, but that some lie too far away from a person's workplace.
'If you park the car and still have a ways to go to work, you can just as well bike instead of walking or being a victim of the Metro's repeated delays. Bicycles are and will be the quickest, most flexible and, not least, most environmentally friendly means of transport in a big city like Copenhagen,' said Nielsen.
The new concept is only a week old, but is already becoming popular.
'For me it's the perfect solution,' said ParkCity customer Michael Lagoni. 'I live 40 to 50 kilometres away, and it nicely fits my needs that I can cycle the last bit from the car park to work.'
The Copenhagen Post

Clover Moore's glass jaw

2006-09-21T18:07:00.000+10:00

This week's Council meeting has again highlighted the recurring flaw in Clover Moore's leadership style. eCouncillor readers will recall that the annual election of committee chairs, CSPC members (2) and the Deputy Lord Mayor as the ONLY time that the 10 Councilors each have an equal vote - that's real democracy. There is no casting or second vote for the Lord Mayor in the election process in stark comparison to her nightly exercise of her casting or second vote (arguably an undemocratic power) each time she can not get her way at the Council meeting.

Last year the Moore party lost the Deputy Lord Mayoral position to Labor's Councilor Verity Firth in a 5 all tied vote and a subsequent 'draw from the hat' (or wooden barrel actually) between Firth and Moore's candidate John McInerney. Fearing that she could not guarantee her people into the plush elected positions chairing the various Council committee (Finance, Planning, Cultural etc) Moore moved a sudden resolution to abolish the chair positions by seizing control of them for herself. This was reported by the Sydney Morning Herald as a sign of her inability to handle criticism (see below).

SMH September 2005
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/moore-and-more/2005/09/16/1126750129200.html
Moore and more
September 17, 2005
Clover Moore's grip on the controls of the city just got tighter, so be careful not to get in her way, warn her colleagues. Tim Dick reports.

Some people thrive on criticism. Some are broken by it. Some just don't tolerate it - from friend or foe - and are prepared to cop the consequences of not hearing it.
This week, Sydney's Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, discovered the ramifications of what her opponents say are the main irritants of her mayoralty: over-sensitivity, exclusion and taking credit for everything the council does, her idea or not.
Her deputy, the planning expert John McInerney, was dumped from office after the Greens councillor Chris Harris withdrew his support. Without it, McInerney lost by lot, a blind draw from a wooden box, prompting Moore to use a procedural rule to seize all seven of the council's committee chairmanships.
After being criticised for wanting two jobs, member of Parliament and mayor, she now has 10, including chairing the Central Sydney Planning Committee, a government-controlled body which approves major development.
Harris and Moore, a community independent with a decidedly green tinge, should be firm bedfellows. But, after Moore's promise last year to work co-operatively and constructively with other Councilors, things have soured.

On Monday night Moore took her autocratic and undemocratic leadership style one step too far moving to in effect abolish the position of Deputy Lord Mayor since she could not accept a 50:50 democratic chance on the outcome. Opposition Councillors smelt a rat early on in the unprecedented reversal in the order of the elections with Council electing the Chair of Traffic Committee before dealing with the Deputy Lord Mayoral position. (see Election of Office Bearers for 2006/07 below)
http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Council/MeetingsAndCommittees/2006/Council/180906.asp

Opposition Councillors still contest the remnant Deputy Chairs of Committees that were ironically all won by Moore loyalists via a draw from the hat. But when Clover Moore pounced with a motion to not elect a Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney the opposition Councillors were outraged. We may have let her seize control of Committee chairmanships last year with a loud grumble and again this year but to abolish a position that is as old as the Council itself and that exists in all other Councils across Australia was going too far. In riding rough shod over the democratic election of the deputy position by the Councillors, Clover Moore and her advisors had taken their arrogance in power one step too far. How on earth they did not foresee our genuine outrage is very hard to comprehend. One after the other the 5 opposition Councillors rose in anger speaking out in outrage against the insult to the Council and the people of Sydney. Moore party Councillors rubbed their hands together claiming the position was redundant and an historical anomaly! It wasn't when Councilor McInerney held onto it for the first 15 months nor when he ran last year to be defeated by Firth.

In speaking on a point of order against the proposal to abolish the post I made the point that it was not as though a non Moore party Deputy Lord Mayor had been a fly in the ointment for Clover Moore and the City. In fact Labor's Councilor Firth had proved herself a co-operative and an effective Deputy and generally sang from the same song sheet as Moore. But this was different - this was not going to be one of the sisterhood, it was Greens Councilor Chris Harris, her opponent in Bligh/Sydney seat at the coming election and the 'Judas' of her Lord Mayoralty (her description). Harris has been running an effective gorilla (no pun intended there Chris - should be guerilla) campaign against Moore in her electorate and she feared his win would elevate his campaign status even further as well as quadruple his resources. I can see her concern with her double salaries and more the 1700 staff compared to Harris' 4 staff and $27,000 as a Councilor. With the two jobs (Lord Mayor and MP) issue still biting in the thoughts of the electorate, Harris' election to DLM would further erode her greenish voter base.

The opposition Councillors exercised their only other real power and walked out of the meeting to deny Moore a quorum and force her to conduct a democratic ballot. Moore seemed genuinely stunned as we left the Council chamber filing past an applauding and angry public gallery. The Local Government Act gives Council 30 minutes to reconvene. Failing to do so the chair sets a new date and time to continue the meeting. 15 minutes into our protest the Moore party Councilor Robyn Kemmis (who we elected earlier unopposed as the Deputy Chair of Finance Committee) called down to the opposition offices requesting our return and announcing that Clover Moore was withdrawing her motion to abolish the position of Deputy Lord Mayor. We returned and after a typical spin laced lecture from Moore we proceeded to the ballot. The draw from the hat delivered Councilor Chris Harris. That's karma for you Clover!!

In other related news - I was elected unopposed and unanimously to the powerful Central Sydney Planning Committee (details below) having forced my way onto the CSPC last year against Moore's wishes and using the draw from the hat method it seems I have earnt my place there. That goes to show that Moore's paranoia about sharing power says more about her psychology than the reality.

Election of CSPC Members
http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Council/documents/meetings/2006/Council/180906/18-09-06_COUNCIL_ITEM4.1.pdf
ITEM 4.1 CENTRAL SYDNEY PLANNING COMMITTEE - ELECTION OF MEMBERS
FILE NO: S031913
MEMORANDUM BY THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
To Council:
The Central Sydney Planning Committee (CSPC) is constituted by the City of Sydney Act 1988.
Section 34(1) of the Act provides that the Committee shall consist of seven members:
(a) the Lord Mayor of Sydney;
(b) a senior government employee with architectural experience nominated by the Minister administering the Public Works Act 1912;
(c) 2 Councillors of the City of Sydney elected by the City Council;
(d) the Director of Planning under the Planning Act; and
(e) 2 persons appointed by the Minister administering Part 4 of the Planning Act.
The person appointed pursuant to Clause (b) is Mr Peter Mould, NSW Government Architect, Department of Commerce.
The two persons appointed by the Minister pursuant to clause (e) are Ms Antoinette le Marchant and Mr Neil Bird.
Previously, the Council has chosen to hold a separate election for each of the two positions and the elections were by open, exhaustive voting.
At the Council meeting of 12 September 2005, Council elected Councilor John McInerney and Councilor Shayne Mallard to the two positions on the CSPC for terms ending on 30 September 2006.

In the following day's media Moore's spin city was decrying the undemocratic 'draw from the hat' and making the extraordinary claim that she should be able to appoint who she wants as deputy because that method is MORE democratic. Get that logic? it seemed Ok when she is winning the positions. But with 43% of the primary vote at the Council election there is a case to be made that the leadership of the Council should be more proportional. Clover Moore's constant use of a second or casting vote dozens of times to ram through her party's agenda could also be described as undemocratic using her logic.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/deputy-draw-creates-problem-for-moore/2006/09/18/1158431650398.html
Deputy draw creates problem for Moore
Bellinda KontominasSeptember 19, 2006
CLOVER MOORE'S hopes of choosing her deputy as Lord Mayor of Sydney have been dashed after a dramatic walk-out at a council meeting last night.
All but the independent Councilors walked out in protest over Ms Moore's decision not draw the deputy's name out of a hat, but they were soon called back in and the name of the Greens councillor Chris Harris was drawn.
Under the Local Government Act a council may elect a deputy mayor but is not required to. Cr Moore said the State Government should change the law.
"It is ridiculous in this day and age that Sydney's deputy lord mayor needs to be appointed through a draw from a hat." The appointment of Cr Harris, who has said he will stand for Cr Moore's state seat in March, is a serious blow to her.
She said backroom deals had been done by Labor, the Liberals and the Greens to place in the role someone more concerned with state politics than the council.
She said it could subvert her work for the city. "I don't think [this process] is the proper use of public money.
"Relying on the luck of the draw is undemocratic and until the State Government sees fit to amend the legislation I will continue to delegate duties to Councilors based on their skill, interest and availability."
Cr Moore, who has been criticised for her autocratic management style, said it was her right as Lord Mayor to choose her deputy.
"I describe my style as inclusive and non-adversarial. I'm here to serve the city and I expect all parties to do the same," she said. Cr Harris could not be reached for comment last night.

The name-from-a-hat option is as old as democracy itself. Probably older than the casting vote. Rather than undemocratic as Moore claims, it is believed to have evolved as a civilised way to resolve ballot ties as opposed to bribery or duels. In recent years the draw from a hat method has been proposed to resolve the ALP leadership ballot and it even has constitutional precedent in Victoria where, in a tied 1985 Victorian Upper House election, a returning officer drew the winner from a hat between two candidates.

In a footnote Clover Moore's outrageous actions and the spin her million dollar PR machine put on it have been seen through by many commentators and bloggers. Whilst the mainstream media handled the matter with kid gloves - no doubt finally anthesised by Clover Moore's outrageous advertising spend and huge spin budget- the internet remains beyond her manipulation.

Here's two good blog posts on the shenanigans.

http://kingscrosstimes.blogspot.com/

http://www.southsearepublic.org/story/2006/9/19/81435/9543

and all this deserves a revisit of the popular eCouncillor Queen Clover post.

http://ecouncillor.blogspot.com/2006/05/satirical-look-at-citys-administration.html

Cyclocity in Brussels - Sydney soon?

2006-09-19T13:04:00.000+10:00

I received an email this morning from Steve Connor the CEO of JCDecaux Australia informing me of their exciting Cyclocity bicycle hire service launched during car free day in Brussels. I met Steve at the Cycling Promotion Fund 'Business of Cycling Breakfast' earlier this week. It was a great event with the broad range of cycling proponents in attendance including the head of bicycle Police unit, bike importers, retailers, sporting and tourist operators, health experts and government. Councillor John McInerney gave an address on the new City of Sydney draft bike plan www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

As we roll out more cycling infrastructure across the City of Sydney it will be exciting to offer a bicycle hire service for residents, workers and tourists of this quality in Sydney.

Media Release below and read about Cyclocity here and images..

JCDecaux launches Cyclocity® in Brussels
on the city’s ‘car-free day’

Paris, September 18, 2006 – JCDecaux (Euronext Paris: DEC), the number
one outdoor advertising company in Europe and in the Asia-Pacific region,
and number two worldwide, yesterday launched Cyclocity® in Brussels on the
city’s annual ‘car-free day’. With 250 self-service bicycles available at
23 cycle racks, this innovative system is now up and running within the
pentagon of boulevards surrounding central Brussels.
Following Vienna (Austria), Cordoba and Gijon (Spain), Brussels becomes
the 4th city outside France to team up with JCDecaux, the world leader in selfservice
bicycle hire, and offer this pioneering form of individual public
transport.
In France, Cyclocity® (christened Vélo’v® by the greater Lyons area), has
enjoyed unprecedented success since its début in Lyons in May 2005. The
system’s 60,000 subscribers – who hire bicycles up to 28,000 times per day –
have already covered 10 million kilometers in the space of 15 months,
averaging a daily total of 40,000 kilometers - equal to the circumference of
the Earth at the equator..
According to a BVA survey carried out in May 2006, Vélo’v® users are
extremely satisfied with the service, giving it an average score of 7.7 out of
10. Acting as veritable ambassadors for the service, they contribute to its
continued development through favourable word-of-mouth publicity. Indeed,
Vélo’v® enjoys a personal recommendation rate of almost 90%.
Brussels will now become a new showcase for Cyclocity for cities wanting to
adopt this new type of eco-friendly transport system.
Commenting on the launch of Cyclocity® in Brussels, Jean-Charles Decaux,
Chairman of the Executive Board and co-CEO of JCDecaux, said: “With
Cyclocity, JCDecaux is introducing its pioneering means of individual public
transport for the first time in Belgium. This is why we decided, in agreement
with the City of Brussels, to launch this system on the highly symbolic
occasion of ‘car-free day’..
“In line with the expectations currently expressed by cities and citizens in
terms of sustainable development, Cyclocity® forms an integral part of the
urban landscape as an eco-friendly answer to the problems of excessive car
use and pollution while simultaneously guaranteeing safety, comfort and ease
of use. With its development constantly driven by innovation, JCDecaux is
demonstrating once again, with Cyclocity®, its ability to offer local
communities new solutions capable of meeting the challenges confronting
them, notably in the area of environmental protection”.

Key Figures for the JCDecaux Group:
- 2005 revenues: €1,745.2m, first half 2006 revenues: €945.8M
- JCDecaux is listed on the Eurolist of the Euronext Paris stock exchange, and is part of
the Euronext 100 and FTSE4Good indices.
- N°1 worldwide in street furniture (318,000 advertising panels)
- N°1 worldwide in airport advertising with 153 airports and more than 300 transport
contracts in metros, buses, tramways and trains (207,000 advertising panels)
- N°1 in Europe for billboards (200,000 advertising panels)
- N°1 in outdoor advertising in China (79,000 advertising panels in 20 different cities)
- 725,000 advertising panels in 48 countries
- Present in over 3,400 cities with over 10,000 inhabitants
- 7,900 employees

Helmeted riders 'more likely to be hit'

2006-09-14T15:48:00.000+10:00

Helmeted riders more likely to be hit by a car!!

By Tamara McLean, National Medical Writer
September 14, 2006 02:05pm
Article from: AAP

CYCLISTS who wear helmets for better protection on the road are ironically more at risk of being knocked down by cars, according to new research.
A study by a British traffic psychologist has found that drivers pass twice as close when overtaking cyclists wearing helmets than when overtaking their bare-headed counterparts.
Drivers shaved an average of 8.5cm off their passing distance when passing cyclists wearing helmets, increasing the risk of a collision.
"This study shows that when drivers overtake a cyclist, the margin for error they leave is affected by the cyclist's appearance," said Dr Ian Walker, from the University of Bath.
"By leaving the cyclist less room, drivers reduce the safety margin that cyclists need to deal with obstacles in the road, such as drain covers and potholes, as well as the margin for error in their own judgments."
The scientist used a bicycle fitted with a computer and an ultrasonic distance sensor to record data from over 2500 overtaking motorists in Salisbury and Bristol.
Dr Walker spent half the time wearing a cycle helmet and half without and was knocked down twice, by a bus and a truck, while helmeted.
He said while helmets had been proven to protect kids in low speed falls, it was questionable whether they offered any real protection to somebody struck by a car.
"Either way, this study suggests wearing a helmet might make a collision more likely in the first place," Dr Walker said.
He believed drivers perceive cyclists as an unfamiliar sub-culture of "lycra-clad street-warriors".
Riders wearing helmets were incorrectly viewed as very experienced and less likely to do something unexpected, which explains why drivers leave less space when passing.
To test another theory, Dr Walker donned a long wig to test whether there was any difference in passing distances when drivers thought they were overtaking a female cyclist.
He said drivers gave "her" an average of 14cm more space than for a man not wearing a helmet, probably because women riders were seen as more unpredictable.
The study, accepted for publication in the journal, Accident Analysis & Prevention, also found that buses and trucks passed considerably closer than cars.

There are some academics who argue that by removing the compulsion to wear helmets when riding bicycles the resultant increase in people taking up riding their bikes (particularly to work) would result in a net community health benefit through decreased obesity, heart disease, diabetes and mental health disorders after the additional head traumas are taken into account. Council's own research has shown that in the top 5 reasons why people do not ride a bicycle to work is the requirement to wear a helmet with some finding them 'unattractive' and others concerned about the impact upon their hair style. Of course safety was the first reason why people did not take up riding - a rather contradictory outcome. I do not know of any government that has reversed a road safety regulation.

Best justice that money can buy

2006-09-07T16:05:00.000+10:00

Crikey.com.au makes a sharp point today on the relative inequality of our justice system, comparing Steve Vizard's case to the case of a young Aboriginal burglar caught doing over Vizard's Toorak mansion.

The inequality of Australian justice was on full display in Melbourne yesterday.

On one side of William Street, in a witness box inside the Supreme Court, a wealthy, handsomely-suited, prosperous-looking 50-year-old businessman was into his third day of refusing to answer questions about, among other things, his illicit share dealings. On the other side of the street, in the dock inside the County Court, a remorseful 21-year-old Aboriginal burglar with a history of drug addiction and 75 previous convictions was being sentenced to four years' jail after pleading guilty to 25 counts of theft and burglary.

Steve Vizard squirmed but, advised by a legal team that included two of Australia's most expensive QCs, he managed to avoid giving evidence that could expose him to prosecution for perjury or for trading shares while on the board of Australia's biggest company, Telstra -- offences for which he was tapped over the knuckles by ASIC, fined $390,000 and disqualified from being a company director for ten years.

In the courtroom over the road, Peter Clarke also squirmed. "I'm very, very sorry for the pain I have caused in committing these crimes," he told the judge -- crimes which included aggravated burglary and stealing six laptop computers from the Toorak mansion of Steve Vizard.

As Steve Vizard could affirm, if he was prepared to answer, Australian justice is still the best that money can buy.

Euro-style bike lanes plan for City

2006-09-05T16:35:00.000+10:00

If it's good enough for Melbourne's cyclists then why not Sydney? As I have continually advocated for the 'Gateways' and Kent Street routes.

from the Sunday Age....

Coming this way: a Copenhagen cyclist passes a row of parked cars keeping him segregated from moving traffic.

Photo: Casual Cas

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/eurostyle-bike-lanes-plan-for-city/2006/09/02/1156817151269.html

Clay Lucas September 3, 2006

MELBOURNE is to get its first taste of European-style bike lanes that separate cyclists and car traffic by putting a parking lane between them.
The bike lanes, which will run along either side of Swanston Street from Melbourne University to RMIT, will cost more than $500,000.
If the trial is successful, VicRoads will consider rolling out more of the bike lanes across the city.
The new-style lanes will be two metres wide and 50 centimetres lower that the footpath.

Under the design, named the Copenhagen Treatment by planners because it is common in that city, existing numbers of parking spots will be kept but moved away from the footpath and towards the middle of the street.
Work on the scheme, aimed at reducing the number of cyclists being hit by cars on that stretch of road, is set to start at the end of the year.
The area has become a bicycle black spot, with six cyclists admitted to hospital after being knocked off their bikes in the past five years.
Under the City of Melbourne's cycling strategy released last week, installation of similar lanes on main cycling roads across the city is likely.
"This is the next stage of this city's bicycle lanes," said Harry Barber from Bicycle Victoria, which has worked closely with the council and VicRoads to get support for the new lanes.
"Drawing a line to mark out a bike lane came first, over the last decade. Then they started painting bicycle lanes green, as we're seeing all over town," Mr Barber said.

"Now they've reached the next stage: separating bikes and cars physically. Australians all have bikes, and they love riding them, but most are reluctant to ride in traffic. These lanes will mean they don't have to."

On average, 1000 cyclists a year are admitted to hospital after accidents. Some 200 end up in hospital after a collision with a car. On main cycling strips such as St Kilda Road, which has boomed as a cycling area since bike lanes were created in 1993, the number of cyclists in accidents with cars has stayed steady.

City to put Rangers on Bicycles

2006-08-30T15:40:00.000+10:00

MEDIA RELEASE

City to put Rangers on Bicycles

Liberal City of Sydney Councillor Shayne Mallard has called upon the Council to introduce bicycle based City Rangers to patrol the CBD and inner city.

Noting that the NSW Police have regularly patrolled the streets on bicycles since the 2000 Olympics, Councillor Mallard asked the Lord Mayor at tonight's meeting to introduce bicycle transport for the City's Rangers.

" Bicycle Police patrols are a welcome sight on our city streets ," Shayne Mallard said.

"City Rangers riding bicycles attending to their duties in parking enforcement and patrolling our open spaces would be a more civic minded way to interact with our community members."

The City currently employs Rangers located in the CBD and at various One-Stop-Shops around the inner city.

"Bicycle based Rangers would also help to activate our emerging bicycle networks and lanes, assisting with education and enforcing responsible behaviour from cyclists and other road users."

Shayne Mallard's proposal was supported by the Lord Mayor.

Shayne noted that there would be no compulsion for existing staff to 'get on their bike' but that a training program, bikes, clothing and equipment would be introduced to volunteers and new staff recruited over time.

"Introducing bicycle Rangers will assist in the physical and mental well being of our staff with the health benefits of cycling well documented."

"Bicycle Rangers will also help reduce our organisation's contribution to traffic and parking congestion as well as be a positive contributor to the environment."

Councillor Shayne Mallard who is a keen cyclist himself looks forward to the success and possible expansion of this initiative to other areas of the Council's 2000 staff.

RELEASE ENDS
28 August 2006

(pictured - Councillors John McInerney and Shayne Mallard at the recent Ride to Work awards breakfast.)