Spread the love

Lord Mayor Clover Moore has today welcomed the release of The Economist’s Global Liveability Index 2019, in which Sydney has shot up liveability rankings to third place, trailing only Vienna and Melbourne.

The Economist attributes the rise to an improvement in Sydney’s culture and environment scores, reflecting the City’s increased focus on combating and mitigating the impacts of climate change, as outlined by the City of Sydney’s “Sustainable Sydney 2030” strategy.

“This ranking confirms what all of us who are lucky to live in Sydney know already – that our city is a wonderful place to work and live,” Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.

“When I was elected Lord Mayor, we embarked on the largest community consultation Sydney had ever seen, to inform the long-term strategic plan that guides all of the City’s work. Residents, visitors and businesseses told us clearly they wanted a city that was liveable, green, global and connected.

“An important factor in Sydney’s improved ranking is our commitment to sustainability and climate action. For more than a decade, climate action has been our greatest priority and we became Australia’s first carbon-neutral council in 2007. By mid-2017 we had reduced emissions by 25 percent and we will meet our 2030 emissions reduction target six years early in 2024.

“As part of this work I’m excited to be hosting the C40 Women4Climate Conference in April next year, bringing together hundreds of influential women leaders from government, business industry and the community sector to tackle climate change issues.”

The Lord Mayor said while the recognition was welcome, the City would continue working to address key issues facing Sydney including transport connectivity and housing affordability.

“This recognition shows Sustainable Sydney 2030, and the wonderful work of our staff, has made Sydney not just a climate leader, but a better place to live.

“Previous liveability studies have marked Sydney down on transport and housing affordability. I’m glad that we have increased connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists, and the NSW Government’s inner city light rail and metro will be transformative, but we are still too reliant on cars.

“Sydney’s housing affordability crisis is obvious to us all. Even if we set aside social justice and equality, all the evidence shows that liveable, workable and prosperous cities require sustainable and diverse housing opportunities, so our Federal and State Governments must come to the table and commit to funding additional social and affordable housing in major Australian cities.

“And while we have seen an increase in our cultural score, recognising Sydney’s bustling small bar scene, growing foodie culture and reputation for big events like Mardi Gras and New Year’s Eve, we need to do more to breath life into the night time economy and that starts by repealing the lock-out laws.”