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Thursday May 21, 2026 
30 August 2024
Jilly Gibson is moving on from North Sydney Council after a record 25 years and handing over the torch to Milsons Point lawyer, Pallavi Sinha, who is heading the Team Jilly ticket in Cammeraygal Ward for the September 14 poll.
Sinha told The Sun that she is “dedicated and will work very hard to serve the best interests of the residents of the North Sydney local government area.” She emphasised that her priority is to restore professional oversight of council expenditure and projects, bringing her extensive experience in corporate advisory and legal work to bear at Council if elected.
She is particularly concerned that North Sydney Council has the second slowest Development Application processes and the most expensive legal spend on DAs in Sydney.
“I will take action,” Sinha told The Sun.
“I will develop systems to speed up the review of development applications, thereby reducing cost-of-living pressures, and ensuring that we are not unnecessarily wasting money on legal expenses, which then affects us because our rates go up. I also care about young families and elderly people and will focus on pedestrian safety and traffic calming.”
Sinha said that she wants to bring a holistic focus to “big things like how projects are being delivered or not delivered.”
“I will make sure that the North Sydney Olympic Pool is opened. Being over three years behind schedule, and reaching twice the originally budgeted amount is unacceptable,” Sinha said.
“We need representatives on Council with good economic management and oversight. The lack of oversight at the council level at the moment is very concerning, and it is one of my major reasons for wanting to stand, as I believe the level of representation needs to be improved.”
Regarding the pool, Sinha stated, “It’s not satisfactory. In terms of what went wrong, look at the staff turnover, because that created a big void. Who is managing what’s going on? Why weren’t the councillors reviewing it on a constant basis? My approach is proactive and not a blame game like Mayor Zoe Baker is playing.”
Sinha continued, “Oh, now it’s the former mayor’s fault, then now it’s the architect’s fault. So let’s sue the architect and spend another couple of million dollars on litigation, potentially delay it even more, and increase rates for ratepayers.”
Part of the problem, in Sinha’s view, is Council’s tin ear on community sentiment. “There were consultations they carried out, and then they actually ignored the consultation.”
She cited the example of the Milsons Point bike ramp, where most local residents opposed the state government design and wanted the Council to advocate for a community alternative. However, the Council went ahead and granted consent for the unwanted option anyway, she said.
Regarding the Council’s poor record on Development Applications, Sinha said she would improve the process of reviewing DAs, highlighting the importance of a systematic approach to reduce delays and unnecessary litigation costs.
She advocates for a more efficient system that allows for quicker face-to-face meetings, potentially saving weeks of back-and-forth communication in writing.
However, she also stresses the need for balance, ensuring that development applications are thoroughly reviewed without simply rubber-stamping them.
There should be a balanced approach to development, particularly in areas with heritage significance. Sinha, who values green spaces, is not in favour of hastening development at the expense of thorough evaluation.
“I’ve mentioned economic and legal issues, but I’m also someone who genuinely cares about the high level of domestic and family violence. That’s very alarming and unacceptable, and I would take action to address it. I would also take action to address social issues like loneliness and mental health by creating economic and social hubs to improve people’s connectivity with each other.”
Sinha is a member of the Liberal Party but emphasises that she is not endorsed by them and obtained a waiver to run as an independent.