Independent philosophical about his election chances
BY PATRICK BILLINGS
Local politics is in Ormond McDermott’s blood. His reformist uncle, Emmet McDermott, was elected Lord Mayor of Sydney in 1969.
But in his fourth tilt at Town Hall, the 69-year-old says there is only a slim chance he will don the mayoral robes.
‘I realise this is a single issue, a kind of tunnel-vision candidacy, but I would not have it any other way. A lot of people are going to be affected by this,’ he said.
As one of only two bona fide independents, Mr McDermott is running on a platform of strata reform and wants a demolition clause built into building contracts.
He believes council is too busy heritage-listing buildings rather than assessing their safety and structural integrity.
‘It is unsafe for a lot of people and landlords are entrapped,’ McDermott says.
‘People are going to lose their lives and it will become an issue we cannot ignore.’
As the landlord of an inner-city heritage-listed building, Mr McDermott says the current system has left him financially weakened.
‘Nearly two million people are involved in strata arrangements, it is a growing platform,’ he says.
The crux of his argument is the current system promotes an undesirable catch-22. Aged strata buildings are being rapidly listed under heritage. Due to their age they often fail to comply with current safety controls but heritage status means modifications are either extremely expensive or break heritage rules.
‘We need a system to deal with these old buildings,’ he says.
‘It doesn’t make sense to heritage-list everything unless the buildings comply with the safety criteria.’
On waging his own campaign, McDermott says the process is expensive time-consuming. ‘It is quite exhausting to tell you the truth.’
Mr McDermott is quick to acknowledge Clover Moore’s achievements but questions her independence.
‘To be an independent you can’t accept donations of any sort, the moment you do, you are not an independent.
‘I have been fighting on this issue for 28 years. I won’t be around for another 28, but the issue certainly will be.’
