Clover Moore’s costly Cloud Arch to be built in 2019

LORD Mayor Clover Moore’s $11.3 million Cloud Arch sculpture should be built in 2019 after councillors approved a massive blowout in costs for the project.

• Clover Moore spending $100k campaigning for same sex marriage
• Light rail work derails Clover Moore’s $3.5m Cloud Arch

LORD Mayor Clover Moore’s $11.3 million Cloud Arch sculpture should be built in 2019 after councillors approved a massive blowout in costs for the much-maligned project.

The cost of Cloud Arch has nearly quadrupled from the original $3.5 million budget, with Ms Moore blaming everything from the technical difficulties of building over George St to the price of steel.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore’s sculpture project has been given the go ahead despite a budget blow-out. Picture: John Grainger

The $11.3 million sculpture will be built in 2019 after Sydney City Council approved its budget.

Councillors approved the whopping new budget at an extraordinary council meeting last night, despite vehement opposition from Liberals Christine Forster and Craig Chung, Deputy Mayor Kerryn Phelps and Independent Angel Vithoulkas.

Ms Moore, her team and Labor councillor Linda Scott voted in favour of the archway, which has undergone a significant redesign since being unveiled in 2014.

Despite criticism from Premier Gladys Berejiklian and other councillors, the Lord Mayor reconfirmed the City’s commitment to the project.

The Lord Mayor has reconfirmed the City’s commitment to the project.

Bizarrely, she told the meeting that while she thought Cloud Arch was an exciting and dramatic piece of art, “it’s not my view that matters”.

READ MORE: Cloud Arch sculpture design for the Sydney CBD will go ahead

“It’s the worst possible thing when elected representatives decide what happens or choose a piece of art (for the community),” she added. City of Sydney and Ms Moore did choose Cloud Arch.

City staff revealed $1.4 million has already been spent on the project. The development applications for the two footings have already been approved and the DA for the arch structure was to be lodged in the coming weeks.

Liberal councillor Christine Forster voiced her disapproval for the project. Picture: Jonathan Ng

City of Sydney Labor Councillor Linda Scott voted in favour of the Arch.

Dr Phelps said the project was not about “whether you believe in the value of public art” but about fiscal responsibility.

She called on council to go back to the drawing board and reconsider the project given the immense cost increase.

“We have the opportunity to do the financially responsible thing and that is to go back to the drawing board,” Dr Phelps said.

It would be unlikely that had council known in 2014 that cost was likely to be $11.3 million that the same decision would have been made, she said.

$170,000 has also already been spent on Hany Armomious “milk crate” Pavillion sculpture. That was deferred indefinitely tonight, though Ms Moore denied it had been scrapped completely.

“We are deferring it, we’re not stopping it and we will consider an alternative location,” she said.