A Lord Mayor’s Labor pains

Lord Mayor Clover Moore has sacked new Deputy Lord Mayor Marcelle Hoff from the Board of the Sydney Festival, says Greens Councillor Chris Harris.

He says the position was given to Labor Councillor Meredith Burgmann as reward for voting with the Lord Mayor in the election for Deputy.

The vote tied five-all, with two ‘Clover Moore Team’ councillors voting against the Lord Mayor’s choice: Cr Di Tornai.

Cr Hoff won when her name was drawn from a barrel.

She declined to comment on Harris’ allegations.

The Lord Mayor also declined to respond, saying only that the election decision was “just independents exercising their independence.”

But the Greens and Liberal councillors say the Lord Mayor’s team is divided over Barangaroo.

This month’s Council meeting saw The Lord Mayor’s team split down the middle on a motion by Cr Harris to better publicise Council’s model for Barangaroo.

The Lord Mayor voted against, and was supported by Labor Cr Burghmann, but lost to the other parties.

The motion called for small-scale models to compare the currently approved development to the original winning design, in tandem with graphics, electronic presentations, and at least three public forums.

Cr Harris says the Lord Mayor is in bed with the NSW Labor Party.

“In the past few months, Clr Burgmann has sided with The Lord Mayor and the more faithful members of her team to support the interests of state Labor and Lend Lease over those of the public in relation to Barangaroo, including in a recent decision to block funding to the Environmental Defenders Office for legal action over the project.

“Presumably Cr Burgmann is just following instructions but it’s less clear what Clover’s motivation is in supporting a terminal Labor government,” Cr Harris said.

The now Deputy Lord Mayor spoke against the Barangaroo development at a rally on the site earlier this month.

At the rally Greens Bans Activist Jack Mundy spoke out against the Lord Mayor’s position on the Barangaroo Board.

“I think she’s mistaken to believe that it’s better to be in the tent with these people than outside,” he said.

The Lord Mayor said she remains concerned that the development in the southern precinct is too big and she opposes increases in the gross floor area.

“It is important that Barangaroo integrates with the City and adjacent residential areas,” she said.

By Lawrence Bull