Clover Moore's council policies are sending businesses away

On Monday night, Sydney City councillors controversially voted to use the term "invasion" in the council's Aboriginal policy.

Ms Moore said on Thursday that the word accurately described the impact of colonisation on indigenous communities.

"They (the Aboriginal community) told us very strongly that the word described the impact on the community," she told reporters in Sydney.

Owner of CBD lingerie store Arianne, Douglas Reedy, pays thousands of dollars in rent but cannot vote for the council as a business.

He said Ms Moore's council was "killing" Sydney with controversial policies such as the bike lanes.

"The little people are going broke everywhere over the (CBD). She's disrupting traffic and trying to get people out of the city," Mr Reedy said.

He said this year was a "shocker" for revenue - the worst in 25 years: "She's just driving money out. All the developers have left."

Urban Taskforce CEO Aaron Gadiel blasted the council for driving business to despair with red tape, preventing development, and failing to represent all the community.

"People want to invest in other places to save themselves the difficulty in dealing with the City of Sydney."

Parramatta Economic Development Forum CEO Christopher Brown said business realised the encumbrance of working in the CBD.

"Parramatta is a willing player. It's not only laying out the welcome mat, it's knocking on people's doors," Mr Brown said. "Gone are the days if you didn't have your office in Martin Place it wasn't a real office."

Meriton managing director Harry Triguboff said Sydney's councils had a reputation for stalling projects.