Mayor's Community Message
27 May
CIVIC CENTRE FUTURE
Today, I am concluding my narrative on the troubled history of the former Ryde Civic Centre site at 1 Devlin Street, in which I have detailed the facts about our now infamous ‘hole in the ground’.
This has included the demolition of the original 1960s era Ryde Civic Centre, the discovery and rectification of financial mismanagement within Council that caused work on a proposed new facility to be halted and the exploration of several alternative options that would have kept the site in public ownership.
Now it’s time to look ahead.
At the 28 April 2026 Ordinary Meeting, Council carried a motion directing the Acting CEO to approach the State Government to explore options of acquiring the site as part of its ‘Building Homes for NSW’ program.
If successful, this option will not only support much-needed government-led housing outcomes but will also ensure the site remains in public hands.
I am determined to find a solution that will fill in the hole once and for all and I make no apologies for being innovative and pro-active in this endeavour, which will benefit our community for generations to come.
EV CHARGERS
I’m excited to report that the rollout of 23 new pole-mounted electric vehicle (EV) chargers across the City of Ryde is now underway, as the popularity of battery-powered cars continues to rise.
The installation of this vital transport infrastructure, which comes at no cost to ratepayers, was endorsed at Council’s March 2026 Ordinary Meeting while the suitability of another four sites is still being investigated.
Last month, Transport for NSW vehicle registration data identified Ryde as one of the top five areas for EV ownership in Sydney, with 11,709 registered electric cars making up 14.2 percent of all registered vehicles. Council is also incorporating an increasing number of Hybrid and Battery EVs into its fleet.
Not only are these vehicles impervious to oil shortages and volatile petrol prices, they are also leading the way in reducing carbon emissions, helping Council to achieve its Net Zero operations target by 2035 and community target by 2040.
For more details, click here.
TREE PLANTING
My next Mayor’s Tree Planting Day is taking place on Saturday 30 May at Flinders Park, Marsfield from 10.00am - 12.00pm.
Please join me as we help to improve our local environment and provide a future haven for native wildlife.
Sincerely,
Trenton Brown – Mayor