Clover Moore claims victory in the City of Sydney 20 years after she first stepped into the role of lord mayor

Clover Moore has claimed victory as Sydney Lord Mayor for an historic sixth term.

In the NSW local government elections on Saturday, the 78-year-old independent politician overcame what she called ‘the toughest campaign’ of her career.

Moore claimed victory on Saturday night at the Arthouse hotel in Sydney’s CBD, beating nine other candidates to secure the keys to the Sydney Town Hall.

Moore’s challengers in the lord mayoral race included the Liberals, Labor, the Greens and independent Yvonne Weldon.

‘What a campaign it has been,’ Ms Moore said.

‘I think the toughest campaign I’ve ever had. There was a really concerted campaign to try and get rid of me.’

Ms Moore said she was underwhelmed by her opponents.

‘I didn’t think any of the other candidates had anything to offer,’ Moore said.

Clover Moore is pictured celebrating with supporters on Saturday night at at the Arthouse hotel in Sydney’s CBD

‘They said we need a change and fresh ideas. I listened very carefully to hear what the fresh ideas were and there weren’t any.’

 ‘There was a sense of real desperation about trying to get me out of Town Hall. That was expressed in the candidates’ forums, which I think were pretty nasty.

‘No one really talked about fresh ideas or new policy, they were just attacking me. It was a pretty weird campaign, actually.’

Ms Moore said affordable housing, action on climate change, Chinatown and Oxford Street would be among her priorities. 

The 78-year old independent politician overcame what she called ‘the toughest campaign’ of her career

Earlier on Saturday, Ms Moore apologised after a rival’s campaign signage was removed and replaced with her own.

Independent candidate Yvonne Weldon took to social media on Saturday to allege one of Ms Moore’s volunteers had taken her corflutes away in Redfern, hidden them in a car and replaced them with signage in support of Australia’s longest-serving lord mayor.

Ms Moore, who is fighting to retain the keys to Sydney Town Hall after 20 years in the role, apologised for the incident.

‘I’m sorry this occurred. This absolutely should not have happened. I’m told the volunteer was instructed to rectify and replace immediately,’ Ms Moore said in a statement.

Ms Weldon, an Indigenous candidate, said the incident was disappointing, unacceptable and ’emblematic of why we need change’.