Mayor of Sydney

Clover Moore (née Collins, 22 October 1945) is an Australian politician. She has been the Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney since 2004. She was an independent member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1988 to 2012, representing the electorates of Bligh (1988–2007) and Sydney (2007–2012). Moore is the first popularly elected female Lord Mayor of Sydney.

Moore resigned as a state MP as a result of new state laws (labelled in the media as the "Get Clover" laws) preventing dual membership of state parliament and local councils. Following her re-election as mayor in the 2012 elections, she was forced to resign the state seat she held for 24 years before the first meeting of the new council. This resulted in a 2012 Sydney by-election on 27 October in which she endorsed independent candidate Alex Greenwich of the Australian Marriage Equality who won in a landslide victory.

Clover Moore is Lord Mayor of Sydney, currently serving her third term. She is the first popularly elected woman to lead the City of Sydney and previously served on the City and South Sydney councils.
From March 1988 Clover was continuously elected to represent the Bligh/Sydney electorate as an independent MP in the NSW Parliament. She was forced to resign on 21 September 2012 after a state law made it illegal for her to continue in both roles.
An opinion piece in the Sydney Morning Herald once said: "In her 20 years as MP, with more successful private member's bills than anyone in a century, Moore has done more to keep the bastards honest than Don Chipp ever did.”
Throughout her public life, Clover has championed progressive policies.
Small bars, freedom of information laws, whistleblower protection, disclosure of government contracts, boarding house protection, tenant's rights, strata title reform, making it illegal to incite hatred against members of the GLBT community and making same sex adoption legal are among her achievements.
When she held the balance of power alongside other independents in NSW she delivered a charter of reform, called the most radical state political reform agenda of any Westminster Parliament in the 20th century.
As Lord Mayor, Clover has led the development and implementation of the City's internationally renowned long term plan – Sustainable Sydney 2030. The plan includes ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse emissions.
Under her leadership, the City has developed a global reputation for delivering award winning facilities, protecting open space, promoting design excellence, delivering new transport options, championing sustainability and initiating progressive solutions to complex city social problems.
Clover is an arts graduate of Sydney University. She has 2 children, Sophie and Tom. She lives in inner-Sydney Redfern with husband Peter and staffy-kelpie cross Bessie.

When Turnbull announced soon after that she would not seek re-election, Lee appeared to have the position won. Then, on 24 February, Moore entered the race, labelling the council's sacking a "cynical grab for power" and sharply condemning the sacking of a democratically elected mayor, despite her ideological differences with Turnbull. By the following day, The Sydney Morning Herald was already predicting that she would present a serious challenge to Lee.

Despite a spirited challenge from Lee, who was supported by much of the business community which had concerns about Moore's anti-development stance, Moore won. She finished with more than double the vote of her nearest rival, Lee, and ABC election analyst Antony Green announced that she would "romp through" to win, only 90 minutes after counting began.

Though she had made a point of not directing voting preferences in her four election campaigns in the Legislative Assembly, Moore decided to support a team of independents for the council race. This turned out to be quite successful, with four of her team of six - John McInerney, Robyn Kemmis, Marcelle Hoff and Phillip Black - being elected to council.

At the local government elections held on 13 September 2008 Moore was re-elected as Lord Mayor of Sydney.

After introducing bike lanes through many parts of inner Sydney, Moore broke an ankle on Ride to Work Day in October 2010, while dismounting from her bike, necessitating that she attend some events in a wheelchair.




Sydney

Sydney, is the state capital of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds the world's largest natural harbour, and sprawls towards the Blue Mountains to the west. Residents of Sydney are known as "Sydneysiders". Sydney is the second official seat and second official residence of the Governor-General of Australia and the Prime Minister of Australia.

The Sydney area has been inhabited by indigenous Australians since the Upper Paleolithic period. The first British settlers arrived in 1788 to found Sydney as a penal colony, the first European settlement in Australia. Since convict transportation ended in the mid-19th century, the city has transformed from a colonial outpost into a major global cultural and economic centre. The population of Sydney at the time of the 2011 census was 4.39 million, 1.5 million of which were born overseas, representing many different nationalities and making Sydney one of the most multicultural cities in the world. There are more than 250 different languages spoken in Sydney and about one-third of residents speak a language other than English at home.

Sydney has an advanced market economy with strengths in finance, manufacturing and tourism. Its gross regional product was $337 billion in 2013, the largest in Australia. There is a significant concentration of foreign banks and multinational corporations in Sydney and the city is promoted as Asia Pacific's leading financial hub. In addition to hosting events such as the 2000 Summer Olympics, millions of tourists come to Sydney each year to see the city's landmarks. Sydney is also a gateway to Australia for many international visitors. Its natural features include Sydney Harbour, the Royal National Park, Bondi Beach, and the Royal Botanic Gardens. Man-made attractions such as the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge are also well known to international visitors.

Mayor of Melbourne

Robert Keith Bennett Doyle (born 20 May 1953) is an Australian politician and the 103rd Lord Mayor of Melbourne, elected on 30 November 2008. He was previously Member for Malvern in the Legislative Assembly of Victoria from 1992 to 2006 and Leader of the Victorian Opposition from 2002 to 2006, representing the Liberal Party of Australia.

Robert Doyle is a Principal at The Nous Group, a management consultancy business based in Melbourne and, since 2007, has been Chairman of Melbourne Health (The Royal Melbourne Hospital).

Robert is President of the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, Chairman of the Royal Melbourne Hospital Foundation and a Trustee of the Shrine of Remembrance. Robert is also an Ambassador for Odyssey House, a drug and alcohol abuse rehabilitation facility, an Ambassador for SecondBite, a not-for profit organisation committed to making a positive difference by distributing fresh food to the disadvantaged and homeless, an ex-officio member of Cancer Council Victoria and an Ambassador for Field of Women, a charity raising awareness of breast cancer, an Ambassador for the White Ribbon Day Foundation, an international day for the elimination of violence against women, an Ambassador for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Honorary President of the Melbourne Region of the Scout Association and a board member of the Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre (PICAC) Ltd.

In 2010 Robert was made a Fellow of Monash University.

Robert recently joined the United Nations Advisory Committee of Local Authorities (UNACLA) as a committee member.
A Member of Victoria’s Parliament for 14 years, Robert was Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Party for four years. He has also been Shadow Minister for Health and, in government, Parliamentary Secretary for Health.

When Lord Mayor of Melbourne John So announced his decision not to contest for a third consecutive term in early October 2008, Doyle emerged as a contender for the Lord Mayoralty in November 2008. Doyle told the media that he "was a better than 50-50 chance of running". On 27 October Doyle announced his candidacy, saying he could leave partisan politics aside to work with the State Government if he became Lord Mayor. Doyle selected John So's deputy between 2001 and 2004, Susan Riley, as his running mate.

On 30 November 2008, Doyle was elected Lord Mayor, defeating Councillor Catherine Ng in a tightly contested election. Doyle also defeated former Melbourne Deputy Lord Mayor and Spotless heir-apparent, Peter McMullin and So's deputy between 2004 and 2008, Gary Singer.

Doyle's great-great-grandfather, Robert Bennett, previously served as Lord Mayor (then known as simply Mayor) from 1861 to 1862 and Bennett Lane in Melbourne CBD is named after him.

On 27 October 2012, Doyle was re-elected as Lord Mayor, with an increased majority, defeating high profile candidate, Gary Morgan and former Councillor and Lord Mayor Candidate, Catherine Ng. 

On 11 November 2015, Doyle announced that he will run again for the office of Lord Mayor in the elections to be held in October 2016. Stating that it was the "best job in the world".





Melbourne

Melbourne, is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia and Oceania. The name "Melbourne" refers to the area of urban agglomeration (as well as a census statistical division) spanning 9,900 km2 (3,800 sq mi) which comprises the broader metropolitan area, as well as being the common name for its city centre. The metropolis is located on the large natural bay of Port Phillip and expands into the hinterlands towards the Dandenong and Macedon mountain ranges, Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley. Melbourne consists of 31 municipalities. It has a population of 4,529,500 as of 2015, and its inhabitants are called Melburnians.

Founded by free settlers from the British Crown colony of Van Diemen's Land on 30 August 1835, in what was then the colony of New South Wales, it was incorporated as a Crown settlement in 1837. It was named "Melbourne" by the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Richard Bourke, in honour of the British Prime Minister of the day, William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne. It was officially declared a city by Queen Victoria in 1847, after which it became the capital of the newly founded colony of Victoria in 1851. During the Victorian gold rush of the 1850s, it was transformed into one of the world's largest and wealthiest cities. After the federation of Australia in 1901, it served as the nation's interim seat of government until 1927.

Melbourne rates highly in education, entertainment, health care, research and development, tourism and sport,[ making it the world's most liveable city—for the fifth year in a row in 2015, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. It is a leading financial centre in the Asia-Pacific region, and ranks among the top 30 cities in the world in the Global Financial Centres Index. Referred to as Australia's "cultural capital", it is the birthplace of Australian impressionism, Australian rules football, the Australian film and television industries, and Australian contemporary dance. It is recognised as a UNESCO City of Literature and a major centre for street art, music and theatre. It is home to many of Australia's largest and oldest cultural institutions such as the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the National Gallery of Victoria, the State Library of Victoria and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building.

The main passenger airport serving the metropolis and the state is Melbourne Airport (also called Tullamarine Airport), which is the second busiest in Australia, and the Port of Melbourne is Australia's busiest seaport for containerised and general cargo. Melbourne has an extensive transport network. The main metropolitan train terminus is Flinders Street Station, and the main regional train and coach terminus is Southern Cross Station. Melbourne is also home to Australia's most extensive freeway network and has the world's largest urban tram network.

Mayor of Brisbane

Under my administration, Council is getting things done and delivering for you. We are focussed on easing traffic congestion through road improvements and better public transport. We're getting on with the job of flood recovery following the disaster of January 2011. We're working to build a stronger economy with a development plan that will double our City's GDP over the next twenty years and we're rolling out the most ambitious environmental agenda in our City's history.

You'll find information on each of these programs here on Council's website. Thank you for taking the time to visit and I look forward to working with you to make our city an even better place to live.

Graham Quirk is an Australian politician and the Lord Mayor of the City of Brisbane, succeeding former Lord Mayor Campbell Newman when Newman became the Premier of Queensland. Quirk has served as councillor for the ward of MacGregor in Brisbane. Quirk, formerly a member of the Liberal Party of Australia, is a member of the Liberal National Party of Queensland (LNP).

Quirk, an alumnus of St James College, entered Brisbane City Council when elected as Councillor for Rochedale Ward in 1985, aged 27. After three years he was appointed the city's Finance Chairman under Lord Mayor Sallyanne Atkinson and was later appointed Works Chairman. He then served as Opposition Spokesman on Development and Planning, Opposition Spokesman on Finance and Opposition Spokesman on Transport and Traffic.

In 2008 the LNP gained a majority of councillors and Quirk took on the roles of Deputy Mayor and Chairman of the Infrastructure Committee. Following Newman's departure from Lord Mayorship to enter state politics, Quirk was appointed the new Lord Mayor of Brisbane City.

On 28 April 2012, Quirk won a four-year term as Mayor in his own right at the Brisbane City Council elections.




Brisbane

Brisbane, is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland, and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of 2.3 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred on Brisbane, encompasses a population of more than 3.4 million. The Brisbane central business district stands on the original European settlement and is situated inside a bend of the Brisbane River, about 15 kilometres (9 miles) from its mouth at Moreton Bay. The metropolitan area extends in all directions along the floodplain of the Brisbane River Valley between Moreton Bay and the Great Dividing Range, sprawling across several of Australia's most populous local government areas (LGAs), most centrally the City of Brisbane, which is by far the most populous LGA in the nation. The demonym of Brisbane is Brisbanite.

One of the oldest cities in Australia, Brisbane was founded upon the ancient homelands of the Indigenous Turrbal and Jagera peoples. Named after the Brisbane River on which it is located – which in turn was named after Scotsman Sir Thomas Brisbane, the Governor of New South Wales from 1821 to 1825 – the area was chosen as a place for secondary offenders from the Sydney Colony. A penal settlement was founded in 1824 at Redcliffe, 28 kilometres (17 mi) north of the central business district, but was soon abandoned and moved to North Quay in 1825, opening to free settlement in 1842. The city was marred by Aboriginal conflict between 1843 and 1855, and development was partly set back by the Great Fire of Brisbane, and the Great Brisbane Flood. Brisbane was chosen as the capital when Queensland was proclaimed a separate colony from New South Wales in 1859. During World War II, Brisbane played a central role in the Allied campaign and served as the South West Pacific headquarters for General Douglas MacArthur.

Today, Brisbane is well known for its distinct Queenslander architecture which forms much of the city's built heritage. It also receives attention for its damaging flood events, most notably in 1974 and 2011. The city is a popular tourist destination, serving as a gateway for visitors to the state of Queensland, particularly to the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast, popular resort towns immediately south and north of Brisbane, respectively. Several large cultural, international and sporting events have been held at Brisbane, including the 1982 Commonwealth Games, World Expo '88, the final Goodwill Games in 2001, and the 2014 G-20 summit.

Mayor of Perth

Lisa Scaffidi, (born 12 February 1960) is the first female lord mayor of Perth, Western Australia. Scaffidi won the seat in the October 2007 council elections following the retirement of her predecessor, Peter Nattrass, after a record twelve years in the position.

Lisa-M. Scaffidi Council is committed to our role in maintaining and developing each of its many faces so that it continues to be a city of which we can all be proud. Our vision is "that as the Capital of Western Australia, the City of Perth be widely acclaimed as a City of regional and international significance." The City's Strategic Plan provides detailed strategies and goals, which will facilitate the realisation of our vision and objectives. 

The Council aims to be an approachable and progressive Council, encouraging feedback from our electors/stakeholders on any matter of interest or concern. Our Councillor's contact details are provided for your convenience.

Scaffidi was educated at Churchlands Primary School and Methodist Ladies' College after which she graduated as a dental therapist from the WA Institute of Technology (now Curtin University). She served as an air hostess with TAA in 1980, worked in the hospitality industry in a marketing capacity and, in the 1990s, helped to promote export of semi-precious stones. She was the WA state director of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) for over ten years.
She served two terms as a councillor before successfully contesting the lord-mayoralty.

In October 2015, the Corruption and Crime Commission of Western Australia found that Mrs Scaffidi had "signally failed in her duties" as Lord Mayor by accepting and failing to declare a $31,000 travel package to the 2008 Beijing Olympics from BHP, and other gifts from private companies that have dealings with the City of Perth. The Commission's report found that Mrs Scaffidi had committed acts of "serious misconduct."





Perth

Perth, is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth-most populous city in Australia, with an estimated population of 2.02 million (as of 30 June 2014) living in Greater Perth. Perth is part of the South West Land Division of Western Australia, with the majority of the metropolitan area of Perth located on the Swan Coastal Plain, a narrow strip between the Indian Ocean and the Darling Scarp, a low coastal escarpment. The first areas settled were on the Swan River, with the city's central business district and port (Fremantle) both located on its shores. The Perth Metropolitan Region includes 30 local government areas, which themselves consist of a large number of suburbs, extending from Two Rocks in the north to Rockingham in the south, and east inland to The Lakes.

Perth was originally founded by Captain James Stirling in 1829 as the administrative centre of the Swan River Colony. It gained city status (currently vested in the smaller City of Perth) in 1856, and was promoted to the status of a Lord Mayorality in 1929. The city is named after Perth, Scotland, due to the influence of Sir George Murray, Member of Parliament for Perthshire and Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. The city's population increased substantially as a result of the Western Australian gold rushes in the late 19th century, largely as a result of emigration from the eastern colonies of Australia. During Australia's involvement in World War II, Fremantle served as a base for submarines operating in the Pacific Theatre, and a US Navy Catalina flying boat fleet was based at Matilda Bay. An influx of immigrants after the war, predominantly from Britain, Greece, Italy and Yugoslavia, led to rapid population growth. This was followed by a surge in economic activity flowing from several mining booms in the late 20th and early 21st centuries that saw Perth become the regional headquarters for a number of large mining operations located around the state.

As part of Perth's role as the capital of Western Australia, the state's Parliament and Supreme Court are located within the city, as is Government House, the residence of the Governor of Western Australia. Perth became known worldwide as the "City of Light" when city residents lit their house lights and streetlights as American astronaut John Glenn passed overhead while orbiting the earth on Friendship 7 in 1962. The city repeated the act as Glenn passed overhead on the Space Shuttle in 1998. Perth came 8th in the Economist Intelligence Unit's August 2015 list of the world's most liveable cities, and was classified by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network in 2010 as a world city.

Mayor of Adelaide

Martin Haese is the Lord Mayor of the City of Adelaide in South Australia and he took over from Stephen Yarwood in 2014. Haese was the founder of the Youthworks fashion chain and general manager of the Rundle Mall Management Authority from 2010 to 2013.

Martin is a proud South Australian. As a city resident, business owner and educator, Martin is committed to serving the City of Adelaide’s residential, commercial and visitor communities.

At 27 years of age, Martin opened his first retail store in the City of Adelaide and over the next 12 years grew that business into a successful national enterprise with 220 employees. Martin went on to study an MBA and later became the General Manager of the Rundle Mall Management Authority.

Martin co-founded the Entrepreneurs’ Organisation in SA and has served on a number of boards including the South Australian Youth Arts Board, the Adelaide Convention Bureau, the Property Council’s Mainstreets Committee and Chairman the Bay to Birdwood. Martin was also the national Chair of the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors in 2015.

Martin has also worked as a lecturer for MBA students where he has taught entrepreneurship in Adelaide and interstate. He has travelled widely and done business internationally.

Martin believes that technology will provide many of the solutions for today’s problems and opportunities. As Lord Mayor, Martin is focused on enhancing Adelaide’s reputation as a smart innovative city and being a ‘city where good things happen first’.

Martin’s immediate goal is for the City of Adelaide to become an even greater place to live, learn, work, play, visit and invest. The ultimate goal is to become the world’s most livable city. 

Contact Details

Phone: 8203 7252

Email: Lordmayor@adelaidecitycouncil.com



City of Adelaide

The City of Adelaide is a local government area in the metropolitan area of Adelaide, South Australia. It covers the original Adelaide city centre settlement, (also known as the city, the square mile and (inaccurately) the CBD), North Adelaide, and the Adelaide Park Lands which surround North Adelaide and the city centre.

Established in 1840, the organisation now known as the Adelaide City Council (ACC) is the oldest municipal authority in Australia. At its time of establishment, Adelaide's (and Australia's) first mayor, James Hurtle Fisher, was elected. From 1919 onwards, the municipality has had a Lord Mayor, the current being Martin Haese who replaced Stephen Yarwood in 2014.

Mayor of City of Gold Coast

Tom Tate is an Australian politician and the current Mayor of the City of Gold Coast, first elected on 28 April 2012 and re-elected on 19 March 2016.

As Mayor, he is charged with representing the City and is directly elected by residents. Presiding over all council meetings; he is the only councillor to not represent a specific Gold Coast Council Division; and is the foremost representative of the City of Gold Coast and its policies.

The City maintains a budget of $1.2 billion annually (is the second highest of municipal governments in Australia), is the second largest local government area in Australia, and maintains a staff of over 3,500.

The mayor's office is primarily located in the Southport Town Hall building in Southport, Queensland.

Tate was elected after former Mayor, Cr. Ron Clarke, resigned on 27 February 2012, after announcing his nomination as an independent candidate for the seat of Broadwater in the 2012 Queensland state election, with Mr Clarke achieving a primary vote of only around 6%.

Tate was born in Vientiane, the capital Laos in 1959. He speaks three languages: English, Thai and Laotian.

He attended school at Scots College in Sydney where he was a drummer in the school's pipe band.

A civil engineer by trade, Tate graduated from the University of NSW in the early 1980s. He started his career in the construction industry and later moved into the tourism and hospitality industry.

Tom has been married to his wife, Ruth, for 36 years and together they have four children.

Cr Tate worked across the world before joining his father, Warwick Tate's development company at the age of 35.

In 1992, Tate Sr bought the Islander Resort Hotel in Surfers Paradise, where Tate performed a refit of the building.

In 1993, he took over management of the Islander and turned it into one of the city’s most successful resorts. Notably, during the late 1990s Asian economic downturn, he offered hotel rooms for $1.

Warwick Tate, who was also a civil engineer by profession, died on 19 January 2015 after a long illness. His funeral service was held at the Scots College Chapel.

An independent, Tate had two tilts at the mayoralty before his success in 2012, including as an endorsed Liberal candidate in 2008.

His reelection saw a massive increase in his primary vote from 37% in 2012 to 64% in 2016. He is noted for refusing to accept political donations, self-funding his campaigns.

In June 2015, he sold the Islander Hotel Resort in Surfers Paradise to Brisbane nightclub identity Louis Bickle, to avoid suggestions he has a conflict of interest.




City of Gold Coast

City of Gold Coast is the local government area spanning the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia and surrounding areas. Based on resident population in the 2011 census, it is the second largest local government area in Australia (City of Brisbane being the largest). Its council maintains a staff of over 2,500. It was established in 1948, but has existed in its present form since 2008.

Mayor of Newcastle

Hazel Stephenson was first elected councillor for Benwell and Scotswood on October 14 1999.

Following the election of a Labour administration to Newcastle City Council in May 2011, she was made Cabinet Member for Chief Executive and Corporate Services.

Hazel was responsible for community services; community buildings; ward structures; communications and marketing; consultation; human resources; health and safety; learning and development; Freedom of Information and information governance; legal services; exchequer services; ICT and assets.

In 2014/15 her role changed when she was made Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods.

She then became responsible for libraries, leisure, culture and green spaces.  She also oversaw the delivery of decent neighbourhoods; protecting the natural environment; wildlife protection; street cleaning; graffiti removal; neighbourhood response teams; waste collection; recycling; garden waste collection; environmental awareness; local highway schemes; horticultural services; community buildings; ward structures; civic enterprise; cemeteries and crematoria; asset transfers and digital services.

In 2015/16 she stood down as cabinet member to become Sheriff.  She was invested as Lord Mayor of Newcastle in May 2016 - the 800th anniversary of the mayoralty of Newcastle.

Hazel, a former careers and personal adviser, has also fulfilled a wide variety of other roles on and off the council.  She is a member of Constitutional Committee and Planning Committee - but it is her work representing the people of Benwell and Scotswood which makes her most proud.

As co-chair of Benwell and Scotswood Joint Working Group, she has worked tirelessly over the years with residents and developers to see new homes built in Scotswood.  She is a popular friendly face in her ward.  She believes passionately in community and the idea of everyone working together for the common good.  The theme of her mayoral year is "working together" with residents, community groups and churches of all faiths for the benefit of the area.

She has also represented the council on outside bodies such as Gateshead Newcastle Partnership and Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority as did her father, former Lord Mayor, Cllr Terry Cooney.

Throughout her mayoral year she is supporting Charlie Bear for Cancer Care; the Firefighters' Charity; the Dog's Trust and Arthritis in Children Fund based at the Great North Children's Hospital at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary.

Hazel is married to Trevor and the couple have two grown up children and two dogs.

The Lord Mayor's Office can be contacted by phone on 0191 211 5050 or email lord.mayor@newcastle.gov.uk



Newcastle

The Newcastle,metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie local government areas. It is the hub of the Greater Newcastle area which includes most parts of the local government areas of City of Newcastle, City of Lake Macquarie, City of Cessnock, City of Maitland and Port Stephens Council.

Located 162 kilometres (101 mi) north-northeast of Sydney, at the mouth of the Hunter River, it is the predominant city within the Hunter Region. Famous for its coal, Newcastle is the largest coal exporting harbour in the world, exporting 154.45 million tonnes of coal in 2013–14. Beyond the city, the Hunter Region possesses large coal deposits. Geologically, the area is located in the central-eastern part of the Sydney basin.

Mayor of Queanbeyan

Queanbeyan mayor Tim Overall is preparing to hit back at Coda Conduct's comical attack on his beloved hometown with his very own rap.

Yes, the city councillor is penning a song in response to Is it a Quanger?!, which was recently performed by Canberra all-girl rap duo Sally Coleman, 23, and Erica Mallett, 22, as part of the weather forecast on Triple J's breakfast show Matt and Alex.

"Queanbeyan! What a wannabe! Copied our forecast, got it free. But it's not a shock, cos you're basically... just part of the ACT," its most offending line reads.

Queanbeyan's opening hours, oversupply of takeaway joints and residents' tendency to don socks and sandals did not escape the girls' wrath.

Quanger rapper: Mayor Tim Overall hits back.
Quanger rapper: Mayor Tim Overall hits back.  Photo: Digitally altered
Cr Overall said he was impressed with Coda Conduct's wit but a reactionary rap was underway and set to be a social media sensation. 

"I thought it [Is it a Quanger?!] was clever and amusing but totally out of order," he said.

Canberrans and Queanbeyanites will have to wait in anticipation for more with Cr Overall remaining tight-lipped about the remainder and launch of the ditty.

But a performance could be in the works with the mayor "talking to a local rap group".

He said he was confident his rap would go viral and expected Coda Conduct's reaction to be one of "shock and horror".

No word if light rail or Skywhale feature.

"It is critical it goes viral to restore the integrity and prestige of Q town," he said. 

"There is no way anyone can claim it will be nil cost after year six as at the moment we don’t have any financial information, a business plan or a business model from the proponent."

Cr Overall said ‘‘game playing’’ by a few councillors was obstrucing progress after five years of investigations and nine months of ‘‘detailed negotiations’’.

He said the proposal had been thoroughly scrutinised through three workshops with councillors and senior staff, market studies and analysis as well as 20-year financial and funding plans that had been ‘‘worked and reworked’’.

“If I sound frustrated, I am – so much time and energy to bring another priority of the community’s vision to fruition to be wasted in a few moments by game playing by some [not all] and being disguised as a lack of due diligence,” Cr Overall said.

“I can assure residents that the cinema proposal ticked all the boxes as a low risk, no-cost-to-ratepayers project, and it is a travesty that it has not proceeded to the next stage, which is a memorandum of understanding that would allow things to move forward to the next level.”

The memorandum was needed to secure the cinema operator’s confidence in Queanbeyan.

"It’s been 18 years since we last had a cinema proposal in Queanbeyan,’’ he said.

"Should we not support this it will be many years, if at all, until we see a cinema complex in Queanbeyan."

Cr Overall said a Facebook page had been created to provide the community with the facts.



Queanbeyan

Queanbeyan, is a regional centre on the Southern Tablelands in south-eastern New South Wales adjacent to the Australian Capital Territory. The city's mixed economy is based on light construction, manufacturing, service, retail and agriculture. It is the council seat of the Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council. At the 2011 census census, Queanbeyan had a population of 37,991.


Following the founding of Canberra, Australia's federal capital, just 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) to the west, Queanbeyan has become an integral part of the capital city's economy. The word Queanbeyan is the anglicised form of Quinbean – an Aboriginal word meaning "clear waters".

Mayor of City of Sydney

Clover Moore (née Collins, 22 October 1945) is an Australian politician. She has been the Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney since 2004. She was an independent member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1988 to 2012, representing the electorates of Bligh (1988–2007) and Sydney (2007–2012). Moore is the first popularly elected female Lord Mayor of Sydney.

Moore resigned as a state MP as a result of new state laws (labelled in the media as the "Get Clover" laws) preventing dual membership of state parliament and local councils. Following her re-election as mayor in the 2012 elections, she was forced to resign the state seat she held for 24 years before the first meeting of the new council. This resulted in a 2012 Sydney by-election on 27 October in which she endorsed independent candidate Alex Greenwich of the Australian Marriage Equality who won in a landslide victory.

Clover Moore (nee Collins) (born 1945), grew up in the suburb of Gordon, on Sydney's North Shore. She attended Loreto Kirribilli at Kirribilli, before going on to study teaching at Sydney University. While at university, she married Peter Moore, an architect. After graduating from university, the pair moved to London, United Kingdom for five years, settling in the inner city suburb of Redfern on their return. She was elected to the South Sydney Council in 1980. Moore is a Catholic.

In early 2004, the Australian Labor Party government, under Bob Carr, sacked and re-amalgamated the City of Sydney and South Sydney Councils. The move came largely as a surprise, with then-Lord Mayor Lucy Turnbull (the wife of now Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull) being notified by a fax posted under her door. The decision to amalgamate the two councils was widely interpreted by the media as an attempt to get the Labor candidate, former federal minister Michael Lee, elected as Lord Mayor, as it would bring a large area of largely Labor-voting suburbs into the City of Sydney. However, several of these suburbs also made up Moore's state electorate of Bligh.

When Turnbull announced soon after that she would not seek re-election, Lee appeared to have the position won. Then, on 24 February, Moore entered the race, labelling the council's sacking a "cynical grab for power" and sharply condemning the sacking of a democratically elected mayor, despite her ideological differences with Turnbull. By the following day, The Sydney Morning Herald was already predicting that she would present a serious challenge to Lee.

Despite a spirited challenge from Lee, who was supported by much of the business community which had concerns about Moore's anti-development stance, Moore won. She finished with more than double the vote of her nearest rival, Lee, and ABC election analyst Antony Green announced that she would "romp through" to win, only 90 minutes after counting began.

Though she had made a point of not directing voting preferences in her four election campaigns in the Legislative Assembly, Moore decided to support a team of independents for the council race. This turned out to be quite successful, with four of her team of six - John McInerney, Robyn Kemmis, Marcelle Hoff and Phillip Black - being elected to council.

At the local government elections held on 13 September 2008 Moore was re-elected as Lord Mayor of Sydney.

After introducing bike lanes through many parts of inner Sydney, Moore broke an ankle on Ride to Work Day in October 2010, while dismounting from her bike, necessitating that she attend some events in a wheelchair.


Since becoming Mayor, Moore has been able to bring to completion the construction of several buildings and pieces of infrastructure.

Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre (formerly "Ultimo Aquatic Centre") by Harry Seidler
Surry Hills City of Sydney Library by FJMT (Francis-Jones Morehen Thorpe)
Paddington Reservoir Gardens by TZG (Tonkin Zulaikha Greer)
Redfern Park by BVN (Bligh Voller Nield)
Reg Bartley Oval grandstand and kiosk,Rushcutters Bay, by Lacoste+Stevenson
Pirrama Park in Pyrmont by ASPECT Studios
Prince Alfred Park makeover near Central railway station by Rachel Neeson and Nick Murcutt.
Burton Street Tabernacle (to become the new Tabernacle Theatre)
There are also:

On 27 October 2007 Moore proposed a Private Members Bill that would ban the sale of dogs, cats and other mammals in NSW pet stores, and effectively ban the breeding of crossbred dogs. The Pet Industry Association responded with a petition opposing the legislation. The RSPCA Australia has given its support to the measure, although it was rejected by NSW purebred dog breeders.

Bike lanes constructed through Sydney angered many local residents for reducing parking and critics attacked the cost while other groups, including local headmasters and school groups, applauded them. The Bourke Street Cycleway won a Sydney Design Award in 2012.
The "City of Sydney Amendment (Elections) Amendment Bill", became law in September 2014, replacing one optional vote per business with two compulsory votes and it has been alleged that this is one of "two statutes designed to bar her from public life".





City of Sydney

The City of Sydney is the local government area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

The central business district of Sydney is roughly bounded by Circular Quay and Sydney Harbour to the north, Macquarie Street to the east, Darling Harbour to the west and Liverpool Street and Central railway station to the south.

On 6 February 2004, the former local government area of the City of South Sydney was formally merged into the City of Sydney. Suburbs within the boundaries of the City of Sydney before the merger include the central business district of Sydney itself, Pyrmont and Ultimo to the west, Haymarket to the south, and other suburbs. Suburbs within the City of South Sydney before the merger included Woolloomooloo, Alexandria, Darlington (now mostly occupied by the University of Sydney), Erskineville, Newtown, Redfern, Glebe, Waterloo, most of Surry Hills and a portion of Paddington.

The leader of the City of Sydney holds the title of the Lord Mayor of Sydney. The current Lord Mayor is Councillor Clover Moore who has been in office since 27 March 2004.