Meet The Candidate For Lord Mayor of Sydney: Sue Ritchie

This post was originally published on City Hub.

Local business owner Sue Ritchie, is an Independent candidate running for Lord Mayor of Sydney at the 2024 New South Wales Local Elections. 

The local community activist and consultant is calling for “A NEW AND BETTER VISION FOR OUR CITY”. 

Who is Sue Ritchie 

Sue Ritchie is the co-owner of The Beacham Hotel in Oxford Street and holds a Degree with First Class Honours in Information Technology from UTS.  

Ritchie comes from a family deeply rooted in community service, being the daughter of Don Ritchie, known as the “Angel of The Gap”, for receiving the Australian of the Year Local Hero Award in 2011 for his efforts to prevent suicides at The Gap in Watsons Bay. 

With more than 35 years’ experience in small business and corporate I.T., Ritchie has served as a consultant specialising in strategic planning, integration of diverse interests, and change management, collaborating with top management. 

Ritchie’s campaign slogan is shaped by the concerns of the grassroots community, who are “desperately looking for change and a fresh approach to meeting the needs of ratepayers and small business in the city.”  

Sue Ritchie’s Policies 

Ritchie is running on some key priorities:  

• Standing up for Democracy, not Autocracy  

She will advocate for wards and a maximum of two terms for the Lord Mayor to “strengthen the voice of our Community and the accountability of our representatives” 

• Protecting the Community from the Misguided Visions of Local and State Governments  

She will work to retain the cycleway on Moore Park Road and will act to stop the cycleway being moved to Oxford Street.  

Ritchie has voiced her critiques of the plan to relocate the cycleway from Moore Park Road to Oxford Street. She describes the proposed relocation as a failure of the current administration to engage with the community. 

“Great cities have city villages which are the core of inner city living and vibrant local businesses. That will be destroyed with an autocratic approach to strategy that does not listen to and meaningfully consider the views and wishes of local residents and businesses.”  

“Local residents and businesses are extremely concerned and do not agree with the current Lord Mayor’s vision for Oxford Street and fear that it will prove to be no more than a commuter thoroughfare that physically divides the village of Paddington in two and will devastate local businesses and amenity,” Ritchie said.  

• Revitalising our Cultural Hubs to be Vibrant and Engaging 

At the “Meet The Candidates Debate” at the National Art School, Sue spoke about her ideas for Council to invest in Oxford Street, to bring life and fun back to Oxford Street’s Rainbow Precinct, to make it visually stimulating and engaging to attract interest, such as a fabulous “Oxford Street Darlinghurst” sign, inspired by the Venice Beach sign in LA, at the beginning of Oxford Street at Hyde Park, with fairy lights covering the beautiful heritage architecture of the restaurant, bar and club strip, with oversized DCALs on vacant shop fronts of images of David Bowie or Lady Gaga or whatever, reflective of the Rainbow Precinct culture.  

“These ideas can be implemented quickly, easily and be very effective in bringing fun and life back to Oxford Street.”         

Three Saints Square (3SS) Project 

Ritchie is the founder of the Three Saints Square (3SS) Project.  

The Three Saints Square (3SS) Project includes businesses, residents, and institutions along Oxford Street from Greens Road to Taylor Square. It aims to bring these groups together to address common concerns, improve the precinct, and work with authorities to resolve issues.  

As part of a larger network, the project collaborates with other Oxford Street initiatives to enhance the area from Hyde Park to Centennial Park.