Clover Moore tipped to win third term

7 Sep 2012, 11:30 pm   -   Source: AAP

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore is odds-on favourite to win another term but her chances of keeping a majority on council are less certain.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore is tipped to win a third term but her team of independents looks set to lose their majority on council.

Ms Moore's independent team had control of six of the 10 spots on City of Sydney council, with the remainder made up of representatives from Labor, the Liberals and two Greens.

A revival of the Living Sydney ticket and a higher-profile campaign from the Liberals in 2012 has shaken up the race.

While betting markets have Ms Moore as the odds-on favourite to be comfortably re-elected as lord mayor, cafe owner Angela Vithoulkas is rated as a strong chance for council.

She also has the advantage of leading the Living Sydney team, the grouping behind former Sydney lord mayors Lucy Turnbull and Frank Sartor, who went on to become a Labor state minister.

Meanwhile, the Liberals have as their drawcard the sister of federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, Christine Forster.

Ms Forster, a Surry Hills journalist, may be number two on the ticket but family links have given the conservative team a huge publicity boost as they campaign to cut council rates by 10 per cent.

The Sex Party is also in the race, putting forward stripper and pole dancer Zahra Stardust along with postie and hardcore nudist Stuart Baanstra.

In Randwick, ex-Rabbitohs player Mario "Maltese Falcon" Fenech is running while in Gosford former Scottish Premier League player and Central Coast Mariners coach Lawrie McKinna is a candidate.

On Saturday, 4.7 million NSW voters are eligible to head to the polls to choose from about 3800 local government candidates.

Those who don't vote face a $55 fine, except in nine regional councils and several Sydney wards where councillors are standing unopposed.

If Ms Moore is elected to the City of Sydney council for a third four-year term, she will have to resign from state parliament under new laws preventing councillors from having dual roles.

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