Clover Moore was elected Lord Mayor of Sydney in 2004, the first popularly elected woman to lead the City of Sydney. She is also the longest serving Mayor since city government incorporation in 1842. She was re-elected for her fifth term in 2021.
Clover also served as an Independent member of the NSW Parliament from March 1988 to September 2012, and was concurrently Lord Mayor and Member for Sydney for 8 years until the State legislated against the one person holding both positions.
Throughout her public life, in both State and Local Governments, Clover has championed progressive policies, achieving reforms which increase government transparency, defend our environment, protect the vulnerable and advance animal welfare.
As Lord Mayor, Clover initiated Sustainable Sydney 2030, an internationally renowned long term plan to secure Sydney’s future as a leading green liveable and creative city. This plan includes ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse emissions. In 2007, the City became the first government in Australia to be carbon neutral, and in 2014 received the European Solar Prize for its Renewable Energy Master Plan. The City will use 100% renewable energy by July 2020 and have reduced emissions by 70% by 2024.
Under her leadership, the City of Sydney has developed a global reputation for delivering award winning facilities; protecting and enhancing open space; promoting design excellence for private development; delivering new transport options, particularly safe cycling; promoting and expanding the City’s cultural and creative life and initiating progressive solutions to complex city social problems such as affordable housing and related homelessness.
Progressive champion
Clover Moore is the first woman popularly elected Lord Mayor of Sydney and a champion for progressive policies.
As Lord Mayor, Clover has led the development and implementation of the City of Sydney’s internationally renowned long term plan - Sustainable Sydney 2030. The City is on track to meet ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse emissions and secure Sydney’s future as one of the world’s top green liveable and creative cities.
She pioneered a grassroots approach to politics, effectively side-stepping the traditional big political party way of looking at the world. By actively engaging with the community at a personal level, by listening to her constituents, and by working with integrity to represent the community’s interests in Town Hall, she has built strong community alliances to deliver substantial progressive reform.
Under her leadership, the City of Sydney has developed a global reputation for delivering award winning facilities, protecting open space, promoting design excellence, delivering new transport options, championing sustainability, supporting and encouraging creativity and initiating progressive solutions to complex city social problems.
Clover remains close to and part of the community she represents. She is fiercely independent, highly principled, and passionate about the city’s potential.
Balance of power
From March 1988, Clover was continuously elected to represent the Bligh/Sydney electorate as an Independent MP in the NSW Parliament. She took the community’s concerns directly to Parliament to influence and get action from Government. She spoke on legislation, asked questions and lobbied responsible Ministers to keep the community’s concerns on the agenda.
A Sydney Morning Herald column 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.”
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 LGBTIQA+ community and making same sex adoption legal are among her proudest achievements.
When she held the balance of power alongside other Independents in NSW she delivered a Charter of Reform, which has been called the most radical state political reform agenda of any Westminster Parliament in the 20th Century.
This Charter led to strengthened Freedom of Information legislation, a constitutional guarantee of the independence of the judiciary and other measures to encourage greater accountability and transparency in government.
She was forced to resign on 21 September 2012 after a state law, enacted by a Liberal Government with the support of the Shooters & Fishers Party and the Fred Nile group, made it illegal for her to continue in both roles. Despite the fact that representing the community at both levels of government allowed for effective and efficient democratic representation.
Behind the scenes
Clover is an arts graduate of Sydney University.
She later received a Diploma in Education and taught English and communication skills in London and Sydney.
As a young mother, she began advocating for her local community which led to her becoming a South Sydney and Sydney City Councillor before turning her attention to Macquarie and George Streets.
She has two children, Sophie and Tom, and lives in inner-Sydney Redfern with husband Peter and two staffies, Bessie and Buster.
