Residents of the City of Sydney will have fairness restored to their voice in the democratic process, with moves by the state government to reverse a special voting rule Labor says was designed to punish Clover Moore.
The NSW government introduced a bill on Wednesday to remove the automatic enrolment of non-residential electors such as corporations or multiple owners, lessees or occupiers.
The effect of the City of Sydney Amendment Bill 2023 is to reinstate the same voting rules for all LGAs and give non-residential electors the same rights as ordinary residents.
Minister for local government Ron Hoenig said the current City of Sydney Act unfairly granted two votes to businesses in “a deliberate decision orchestrated by the former government to suit its political agenda”.
“Nowhere else in this state do we see one group of voters favoured in this way,” Hoenig said in a statement.
“It erodes the democratic process and undermines the vital importance of giving residents and ratepayers a balanced voice in local council elections.”
The former government had previously moved in 2014 to give eligible businesses two votes in council elections, compared to one each for residents by amending the City of Sydney Act 1988.
Under the proposed reversal, these groups of non-residential voters will only have one vote each and take away “a significant administrative burden” for the City of Sydney.
The NSW government also argues it will “bring balance” back to the democratic voting system.
The minister went on to claim the controversial local government voting rules were designed to boot Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore from office and give the Liberal party control of the Sydney Town Hall using electoral advantage.
“The government is proud to return the balance to the City of Sydney democratic process, and plan to have the new laws passed and implemented for the September 2024 council elections,” he said.
The minister said another unintended consequence of the special rules was that thousands of non-resident ratepayers were issued fines for failing to vote. The money spent administering the scheme could be better spent by redirecting investments to local services and infrastructure, he said.
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