Hamish McDonald
lord mayor Clover Moore is not without interruptions.
When
Hamish McDonald spent three hours with her traversing the city’s Green Square project there was a lady worried about a Give Way sign needed on a cycling track, and a gentleman objecting to neighbours sunbathing in their undies, all complaints carefully noted. Green Square meanwhile is visibly taking shape: a $13 billion urban renewal across 278 hectares of derelict factory sites on flood-prone former wetlands, halfway between Sydney’s CBD and its airport. Handsome apartment blocks are going up, aesthetics and standards enhanced by the Design Excellence strategy adopted under Moore’s 16 years in office, whereby developers go through a competitive evaluation of designs, rewarded by up to 10 per cent extra floor space.