Sydney mayor clashes with state over $150 million Town Hall Square plan

Lord Mayor Clover Moore condemned the NSW Government’s intervention in the long-awaited Town Hall Square project, labeling it an "extraordinary and highly unusual" breach of normal planning procedures. The council’s $150 million plan to tear down seven buildings, including a Woolworths supermarket, aims to create a 4,200-square-metre public plaza in the CBD, a concept first floated in the 1980s. Planning Minister Paul Scully sent the proposal to the NSW Independent Planning Commission for advice on declaring it a state-significant development, citing its commercial impact and cost to ratepayers.

Moore argued the timing, ahead of the March state election, raises concerns about political motives and warned the state could ultimately block the project. Opposition from Business NSW and Woolworths argues the money would be better spent on crisis accommodation for the city’s homeless. The council continues to pursue approvals, with an independent planner and the Central Sydney Planning Committee expected to assess the scheme, which is slated for completion in 2031.