Clover wins Sydney Lord Mayor third term

8 Sep 2012, 11:09 pm   -   Source: AAP
Clover Moore has high hopes of retaining her job as Lord Mayor of Sydney. (AAP)

Clover Moore has high hopes of retaining her job as Lord Mayor of Sydney. (AAP)

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore has won a third term on council after trouncing rivals in Saturday's local government elections.

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A triumphant Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore has vowed to continue a "progressive agenda" on council, after proving her critics wrong and comfortably winning a third term.

At her post-election party in the inner Sydney suburb of Surry Hills, the popular independent was mobbed by jubilant supporters after romping home with what was likely to be more than 50 per cent of the primary vote.

"It feels terrific," Ms Moore told reporters on Saturday night.

"I really want to say thank you to the people of Sydney.

"It is saying the people of Sydney support our vision, they support progressive and stable government."

Ms Moore thoroughly trounced her opposition in the mayoral vote, despite some expectations Living Sydney independent Angela Vithoulkas may mount a serious challenge.

With counting still underway on Saturday night, the Clover Moore Independent Team looked likely to win five seats on the ten seat City of Sydney council.

The result means Ms Moore will have a slightly reduced majority, from six seats at the last election.

But Ms Moore holds a casting vote as Lord Mayor - something she would have no qualms about using to push through her "progressive agenda".

The at-times controversial Lord Mayor has faced a bitter election campaign, with attacks from the tabloids and conservative politicians focussed on city projects such as her unfinished bicycle network.

At her campaign function Ms Moore took aim at her critics, whom she accused of mounting "unwarranted" attacks on her.

"I think that people should accept that we've had a democratic vote and the people of Sydney have cast their vote, and we have an outcome, and I'd really like to work in a co-operative environment," she said.

"I think that the vote today shows that the people of Sydney support our vision and support the work we are doing and would like to see that continue."

Under new laws introduced by the O'Farrell state government, Ms Moore will now have to step down as the MP for Sydney before the first council meeting.

The "Get Clover" legislation bans MPs from sitting on council, and Ms Moore said her forced retirement from state politics had yet to sink in.

"I've put off thinking about it until I knew the outcome of today," she said.

"I feel very sad about it, and I think that that move by the government to pass legislation that denies the people of Sydney the right to have their elective representative is a denial of democracy."

Early returns showed the Greens possibly losing one of their two existing council spots, with Labor likely to retain its one spot.

The Liberal Party was confident of increasing its numbers at Town Hall from one to two, which would see Christine Forster, the sister of federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, elected.

"We were clearly second in the race and we're happy about that," Ms Forster told AAP.

"Congratulations to Clover Moore on her re-election."

A spokesperson for Living Sydney said they were confident Ms Vithoulkas would pick up the final spot on council.

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