24 highlights of 2024

This year I was re-elected as Lord Mayor alongside Robert Kok, Adam Worling and Jess Miller. Thank you for your trust in us to continue our work ensuring Sydney is the best place to live, work and visit.

This year we opened Wimbo Park in Surry Hills, Butterscotch Park and Honeykiss Way in Green Square, we renewed Woolloomooloo Playground and McKee Street Reserve in Ultimo, and opened new sports fields at Perry Park in Alexandria and at The Crescent in Annandale. And the Government committed funding to return half of Moore Park Golf Course to parkland!

Construction reached its peak at the new school and public community facilities. They will be open next year!

New jobs for 200,000 people, extending transport connections (including light rail down Parramatta Road to Green Square!), transitioning to net zero and creating a diverse, 24-hour economy are all part of our new 10-year plan.

Our new Cultural Strategy features increased funding, a Creative Land Trust for new affordable working spaces and plans to convert the old Brick Kilns at Sydney Park into space for events and exhibitions.

We’re introducing Special Entertainment Precincts in areas like the CBD, Oxford Street, King Street and Kings Cross and changing the way we manage entertainment sound.

This is likely the largest change to alcohol restrictions since they were introduced. This summer, everyone can enjoy a responsible drink in one of our parks.

The Year of the Dragon brought the biggest celebrations of Lunar New Year outside of Asia and we began our significant Chinatown revitalisation, including the Heritage Listing and restoration of the Chinatown Ceremonial Gates.

This year alone we helped fund the redevelopment of William Booth House in Surry Hills;gave properties to be turned into affordable homes for transgender women; started turning a carpark into aged care in Redfern; helped create Haven House South Dowling, for at risk young people; joined the fight to stop the redevelopment of Boarding Houses; and we’re changing the way we collect levies from developers to boost rent-capped supply.

This wonderful space is for local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to gather, share knowledge and practice culture.

We awarded $150,000 in grants to local Aboriginal organisations including survivors of Kinchela Boys’ Home and support for the Koori Knockout.

This year efficient building standards for new developments came into force, we begun transitioning our swimming pools to energy-efficient electricity and using purified water from dialysis machines to clean our streets, with a trial of maggots to convert food scraps to fertiliser on the way.

We awarded $1.5 million in grants to 12 organisations to help get food and essential items to diverse communities, and then an additional $160,000 for meals this Christmas.

We released an updated walking strategy to further transform Sydney into a greener, safer and calmer city, started work on the Oxford Street West cycleway, revitalised Castlereagh Street and made great progress on Crown Street. We’ll keep pushing the State for urgent regulation of share bikes.

This year we completed work to lower speed limits on all City local roads to 40 km/hour.

We held an LGBTIQA+ safety summit, updated two Rainbow Crossings to the Progress Pride flag and we’re installing a third outside Qtopia, which I officially opened with free entry each Sunday. We continue to support Mardi Gras, hosted a trans and gender diverse swimming day, and created PrideVis vests.

We hosted another seven Sydney Street parties in our villages, and extended free outdoor dining.

Our stunning boulevard won a major award for its transformation. Sydney’s newest community space, 180 George Street, now hosts free yoga, tai chi and Pilates.

International student numbers returned to their pre-COVID levels, and I welcomed several hundred to Sydney at a reception in Town Hall.

Awarded to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, a network of 16 million volunteers and staff, with a special recognition for those working in horrific conditions in Gaza.

We commissioned mud flat oyster sculptures as part of our new 9km Harbour walk recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage and reimagined entryways in inner-city lanes.

Our most successful footballers were presented with a Key to the City, inspired by a letter from two young fans.

With more than 17,000 trees planted in the past 20 years the City has more cool spaces, but also more leaf drop, then ever so we brought forward funds so we can enjoy both the shade and clean streets.

We’re launching more fireworks than ever before, including launching fireworks from a barge and 80 new firing positions on the western side of the Harbour Bridge – meaning a better show for viewers on both sides of the landmark.

I hope you and your families have a very happy, safe and peaceful new year.