Town Crier declares Sydney’s new councillors

The booming voice of world champion Town Crier, Graham Keating, officially declared the new City of Sydney Council this morning at a ceremony on the steps of Sydney Town Hall.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore has been officially returned for a fourth term, alongside fellow returning councillors Robert Kok, Christine Forster, Linda Scott and Angela Vithoulkas, along with five newly elected councillors who bring a diverse range of experience to Australia’s leading local government.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said she was just as eager to return as Mayor of Sydney as she was when first elected to the role in 2004.

“Sydney is one of the best cities in the world, with new opportunities and challenges emerging every day,” the Lord Mayor said.

“The election results are a ringing endorsement of our city’s progressive policies and our long-term focus on creating lasting change for the many people who live, work and visit our city.

“I look forward to working with all of the councillors elected to the City of Sydney. The overwhelming majority of matters dealt with by council over the last 12 years have been passed unanimously and I believe that will continue over the next four years.”

The new council features six councillors from the Clover Moore Independent team, two Liberal councillors and a councillor each from Labor and Sydney Matters.

The returning councillors are:

Robert Kok – returning for a third term on Council, Cr Kok has been a strong advocate for Sydney’s Asian communities and is a previous Chair of the City’s Chinese New Year Festival Advisory Group, which has helped the celebration grow to become the biggest outside China. (Clover Moore Independent Team).

Christine Forster – a Surry Hills resident with more than 25 years of experience as an industry journalist, Cr Foster is a passionate volunteer and an Ambassador for Pride in Diversity’s Sapphire Program. (Liberal).

Linda Scott – a research and policy professional and director of Local Government NSW. Cr Scott is a former chair of the Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre. (Labor).

Angela Vithoulkas – an award-winning business owner, radio broadcaster and media commentator, who became the first Greek-Australian to be elected to the City of Sydney Council in 2012. (Sydney Matters).

The newly elected councillors are:

Professor Kerryn Phelps AM – a doctor, health and civil rights advocate, former president of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) and Centenary Medal recipient in 2001 for service to Australian society and medicine. (Clover Moore Independent Team).

Phillip Thalis – an award-winning architect, urban design leader and advocate for design excellence, Cr Thalis helped plan Pirrama Park, framed the Sydney Green Games agenda with his competition winning proposal for the Sydney Olympic Village, and won the initial international competition for the Barangaroo site. (Clover Moore Independent Team).

Jess Scully – a curator of major events including Vivid Ideas and TEDxSydney, Cr Scully has also worked as a magazine editor, conference organiser and arts adviser. (Clover Moore Independent Team).

Jess Miller – an advocate for liveable cities and community engagement, Cr Miller co-created Grow It Local, the Garage Sale Trail, Greenups, the Tweed Ride, the Elizabeth Street photographic art gallery and crowdfarming for the audience at TEDxSydney. (Clover Moore Independent Team).

Craig Chung – with experience as a business owner, trainer and councillor at City of Ryde, Cr Chung is a passionate advocate for reducing red-tape for small businesses. (Liberal).

All 10 councillors attended an official welcoming ceremony and morning tea following today’s declaration, and will undergo training over the coming weeks before sitting for the first time on 24 October.

For media inquiries or images, contact City of Sydney Senior Media Advisor Alex Cauchi on 0467 803 815 or [email protected]