Sydney Council Under Fire for $19.6 Million Planter Box Contract

SYDNEY :  The City of Sydney Council is facing a major spending controversy after it committed a staggering $19.6 million to a five-year contract for the installation and maintenance of temporary planter boxes across the CBD.

The lucrative tender, awarded to Melbourne-based Citywide Service Solutions, is one of the council’s most expensive projects for the 2024-25 financial year, drawing immediate criticism from the Greens.

Greens Councillor Matthew Thompson led the criticism, slamming the contract cost and arguing the funds should have been allocated to address urgent community needs.

“Our city is already ridiculously expensive,” Thompson said. “Instead of throwing away millions on a beautification program we could expand childcare services, fund local creatives, expand our community support services, make pools free in the summertime, the list goes on.”

Thompson noted the stark contrast between the multi-million-dollar expenditure and the struggles of local charities. “Just this week at council we had community groups reaching out in desperate need of money to keep their community kitchens going – that’s exactly where this money could go.”

City of Sydney Greens Councillor Matthew Thompson.

Thompson confirmed that a previous Greens motion to cap the project’s cost at $1 million per year was voted down by other councillors.

In its defense, a City of Sydney spokesperson confirmed the $19.6 million contract covers the “supply and management of both the planter boxes and plants, including watering, maintenance and replacement throughout the program.”

The spokesperson added that these temporary, colorful floral displays are primarily placed in high-pedestrian areas like Town Hall and Martin Place where traditional in-ground planting is not possible. The council invests an average of $96 million per year on all beautification works, affirming its commitment to boosting CBD greenery to 40 per cent by 2050.