10 December 2024
Council resolved to allocate funding for the purpose of compulsory acquisition of the TG Millner Fields, being the property at 146 Vimiera Road, Marsfield. The funding is to be allocated from the Ryde Central Reserve and the Voluntary Planning Agreement Reserve, both internal reserves.
22 October 2024
At the 22 October 2024 Council meeting, Council noted that the Minns Labor Government has negotiated a $16 million deal to bring cage fighting to Sydney and joins with Domestic Violence NSW and Full Stop Australia who have both expressed concerns that the move is counterproductive in addressing the rising scourge of domestic violence. Council recommends that the $16 million be instead spent on sporting infrastructure in Ryde. Council further called on the Premier, Minister for Sport and Minister for Women to reallocate this funding to the acquisition of TG Millner Fields, a significant piece of green sporting space in Marsfield. Council will write to the Minister for Local Government recommending that he supports this reallocation, and subsequently reverses his recent decision to block Council’s application to make TG Millner public land.
27 August 2024
At the 27 August 2024 Council meeting, Council resolved to develop and lodge a Planning Proposal to the NSW State Government for protection of critical public recreation space at the TG Millner Field site through an amendment to the Ryde Local Environmental Plan (RLEP) 2014 to classify the site as an RE1 – Public Recreation zone. Council will further write to the Northern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (NSROC) and its member councils to enlist their support for the preservation of TG Millner Fields, recognising the strategic imperative for all Northern Sydney Councils to maintain open green space of significant size such as Westleigh Park and TG Millner fields.
23 July 2024
At the 23 July 2024 Council meeting, Council resolved that the CEO write to The Hon. Ron Hoenig MP, Minister for Local Government, asking him to reconsider the decision to deny issuing the City of Ryde with the Proposed Acquisition Notice (PAN) for TG Millner Fields. Council also noted that the Mayor has already written to the NSW Premier, the Minister for Sport, the Minister for Local Government, and the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces encouraging them to provide the necessary funding for the purchase of TG Millner as previously promised by the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure.
25 June 2024
At the 25 June 2024 Council meeting, Council resolved to write to ask the Premier for New South Wales, the Minister for Sport, the Minister for Local Government and the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces to provide the funding as promised by the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure as part of the Macquarie Park Innovation District Rezoning Strategies and Transport Oriented Development (TOD) to the City of Ryde to ensure the purchase and future management of TG Millner. Council noted that the undersupply of sports fields in the NSROC region reinforces the case for Strategic Merit as assessed by the Sydney North Planning Panel when they rejected the rezoning proposal of TG Millner fields in December 2022. The reduction by six sports fields at Westleigh Park makes the case for the compulsory acquisition of TG Millner even more compelling using the criteria of Strategic Merit.
Further, the joint three tiers of government funding model, used to upgrade Leichhardt Oval, has direct application to the compulsory acquisition of TG Millner. It is noted that Ryde Council has set aside $15 million for the purchase of this site. A three-way funding model with our council working collaboratively with the NSW and Commonwealth Governments will resolve the issue of site ownership of TG Millner Fields.
The Mayor will write to the Prime Minister of Australia and the NSW Premier to seek financial assistance from the Commonwealth and NSW Governments to support the compulsory acquisition of the TG Millner Fields.
23 April 2024
At the 23 April 2024 Council meeting, it was noted the Mayor will write to the NSW premier, the Hon Chris Minns MP outlining Council’s disappointment around the NSW Government’s decision not to grant the proposed acquisition notice (PAN) for Council to proceed with the compulsory acquisition of TG Millner. Council also expressed concern that the content of the decision was leaked to the media before it had received, and had an opportunity to review, the contents of the letter. It further noted that consultations between Council and the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) had indicated there would be a positive outcome. The Mayor will also write to the Federal Member for Bennelong, Jerome Laxale MP and NSW State Member for Ryde Jordan Lane MP seeking their commitments to preserve TG Millner as open space. Council will seek assistance from the DPHI to prepare a bespoke SEPP for TG Millner that guarantees the retention of public open space on the site.
27 February 2024
Council resolved not to support the draft City of Ryde submission to the NSW Department of Planning, Housing, and Infrastructure’s Stage 1 Rezoning Proposal for the Macquarie Park Innovation District as the City of Ryde has already well met and exceeded housing targets over many years. Council noted that a counteroffer to deliver over 38,000 new dwellings (or deliver more housing than the Rezoning Proposal) in the City of Ryde had not been endorsed by Council or by the local community.
Council will submit an amended City of Ryde submission reflecting the following:
1.The rejection of the Minns Labor Government’s one size fits all planning policy, noting that City of Ryde already has plans to meet and beat the 8,100 new homes in a progressive manner across the city.
2. Request the State Government to fund the acquisition of TG Millner Fields for community open space to meet demand from the growing population.