City of Sydney: Clover Moore allocated $450,000 in funds to international aid amid Sydney cost-of-living crisis

City of Sydney Mayor Clover Moore has been criticised after handing out $450,000 in ratepayer funds to charity groups supporting international aid amid a cost-of-living crisis.

A spate of captain’s call decisions by Sydney Mayor Clover Moore to donate $450,000 in ratepayer funds to international aid, amid a cost-of-living crisis, has sparked backlash from locals.

The Daily Telegraph has uncovered a series of mayoral minutes calling for council to hand over ratepayer funds to international charity efforts – with $200,000 allocated since January.

Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer

Liberal councillor Shauna Jarrett said the mayor was “virtue signalling with ratepayer’s cash”.

“Clover is very good at finding loopholes in the Local Government Act to provide funding internationally,” she said. “Ratepayer’s money should only be used for local government issues, it shouldn’t be within our powers to send this money overseas.

“We have real issues in our on backyard with a cost-of-living crisis and some of the highest rates of homelessness in the country in our local government area.”

This month, Ms Moore sought $25,000 in disaster relief funds for Oxfam Australia’s Morocco Earthquake Appeal and $25,000 for UNICEF’s children’s emergency appeal in Libya.

Ratepayers hit out over council’s use of public funds being donated to international crises – citing Sydney’s own cost-of-living crisis.

It comes as the latest census data revealed homeslessness rates in the CBD rose to 3598 in 2021.

Anne Nicholson said while international crises are “important”, she would like to see local issues funded first.

“Clover, show us the spending spreadsheet,” she said. “You can’t be seen as a successful society if local people are suffering.”

Jamie Cranney said while $200,000 this year was not a massive amount, funds should be focused on Sydney’s homelessness crisis.

“I think the cost of living crisis and the affordability of housing should be the highest priority that I would want funds allocated to,” he said. “It would be interesting to see the breakdown of spending.”

In March, council approved $50,000 to Save the Children Australia fund for Vanuatu, $50,000 to UNICEF following the Syria and Turkey Earthquake Appeal and $50,000 to the Australian Red Cross for the same earthquakes.

It can be revealed Ms Moore allocated $250,000 for international aid in 2022, including $50,000 to Oxfam Australia’s Pakistan flood relief fund, $50,000 to UNICEF’s Pakistan flood fund, $50,000 to the Ukrainian Council of NSW, $50,000 UNICEF’s Tonga Recovery Appeal and $50,000 to Oxfam Australia’s International Crisis Fund for Tonga. 

Pakistan faced heavy monsoon rains killing more than 1,200 people and leaving almost a third of the country under water. (Photo by Aamir QURESHI / AFP)

Council gifted $300,000 to local natural disasters in 2021.

A council spokeswoman said it makes donations to international crisis relief "as Australia’s global city, with expatriate communities from all over the world”.

She said the funding represented 0.03 per cent of council expenditure.

“The overwhelming majority of the City of Sydney’s expenditure goes toward local issues whether through our own work, or direct and in-kind funding for local businesses, events, initiatives and organisations,” she said.

Funds were allocated to support Ukraine in the war against Russia. (Photo by SERGEY BOBOK / AFP)

“(International) donations comply with (council’s) Support for Charities Policy.”

The council has donated $3.8 million to Australian charities since 2010, while a total of $1.3 million was allocated to “international communities” impacted by natural disasters and health crises.

When asked, Ms Moore did not disclose how much she had donated personally to local and international charity efforts.

Melbourne Council representatives confirmed no ratepayer funds were sent overseas to support international aid.

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