Vithoulkas launches into limelight

Living Sydney launched their campaign for September’s City of Sydney Council elections on Sunday, announcing small business owner Angela Vithoulkas as its candidate for Lord Mayor.

Owner of the CBD’s Vivo Cafe for 27 years, Ms Vithoulkas believes Sydney has been usurped by Melbourne and Brisbane as “global cities” and requires urgent change at the upcoming election.

“Right now we’re way behind Melbourne,” she said. “Melbourne’s economy performs much better than ours. It is more people friendly, much cleaner and safer.”

The 46-year-old contends the current City of Sydney Council does not offer cohesive, practical solutions to the community.

“I’ll give you an example – the cycle paths,” she said. “The cycle paths are a disjointed network. They don’t flow cohesively, they’re not a solution to the problem, they’ve added to the problem. It’s a perfect example of the current Council not thinking through their decisions and the impact they will have on the community.”

Ms Vithoulkas is a first generation Australian of Greek heritage. The CEO of radio station Eagle Waves, Ms Vithoulkas is adamant she will “never become a politician” and prides herself on her professional record, despite never finishing school.

One of Ms Vithoulkas’ primary goals is to change the “culture of neglect” she believes Council enforces on voters.

“It’s worse than being intimidated,” she said. “If we were being intimidated, there would be a relationship of some kind. But Council chooses not to listen to residents and business owners because of their neglect.

“We’re presenting Living Sydney as a truly independent team, whose only agenda is to listen to the people of the City of Sydney.”

Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP’s independent party prevailed at the 2008 City of Sydney Election, winning 47 per cent of the vote. If elected
as Lord Mayor, Ms Vithoulkas said she would stand up to the State and Federal Governments and find solutions, particularly for the challenges facing small business owners.

“Small business owners and normal people have to do things with very little resources, and we survive. I would say that is a very big advantage on my part,” she said. “I would say that my skill is as a leader, because the buck stops with me at my business. I don’t get to blame anybody else for anything else.

“The sitting council, who end up making the decisions, do not consult with the people of the City of Sydney – the voters – in an adequate way in order to ensure the best results of the process.”