Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore reportedly heckled claiming that Sydney is now more vibrant than Melbourne

On Tuesday evening of this week, Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore and eight other mayoral candidates spoke at an event to business representatives in Darlinghurst.

NSW council elections are set to be held on Saturday, September 14, and this event, organised by the Committee of Rainbow precinct, was set to focus on the decline of retail and nightlife on Oxford St.

As the ABC reported, after claiming that her council's work on laneways and bars had put Eora / Sydney ahead of Naarm/Melbourne, she was heckled by several members of the crowd.

"The work we've done in laneways and small bars have really sort of put us in front of Melbourne, so some said —"

As the ABC writes, "before she could finish her sentence, some in the audience started laughing and heckling."

"What crap!" yelled one man.
"What an absolute joke," shouted another.
Cr Moore persisted: "No, no. It's true."

Before she could finish her sentence, some in the audience started laughing and heckling.

The conversation comes as a development project on Oxford Street, a series of three council-owned blocks set to be turned into offices, venues and "creative spaces", now runs two years behind schedule.

Following the event, Cr Moore issued a statement reflecting on her comments in the meeting.

"The point I was making was Sydney was really starting to find its mojo when the lockouts hit and decimated our nightlife," Cr Moore said.

"In 2007 [as a state MP] I introduced legislation that changed liquor licensing and enabled Sydney's first small bars.

"At the time, TimeOut reported that this important new sector of the night-time economy was starting to rival Melbourne."

City of Sydney residents and business owners will decide on whether they agree with Cr Moore, or trust her office enough to extend its 20-years in office, on September 14.

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Jack Colquhoun is the Managing Editor of Mixmag ANZ, find him on Instagram.