Mayor's Community Message

13 May 

MISTAKES CORRECTED

In this instalment of my narrative looking at the history of the Ryde Civic Centre project at 1 Devlin Street, I will be detailing how Council acted quickly and decisively following the discovery of the improper internal funds transfer of $95 million in 2022.

In collaboration with the Office of Local Government (OLG), Council developed and then successfully progressed an Action Plan to rectify the previous mismanagement of funds contained in Council’s Restricted Reserves.

Although $52.5 million had been spent on infrastructure and other worthy community projects, the Action Plan resulted in $42.5 million of unspent funds, including $35.5 million for the civic centre plan, being returned to their correct accounts and for their intended purpose. 

A new Cash Reserves Policy for the future utilisation of Council’s Restricted Reserves Funds was adopted, and an external review of City of Ryde’s Voluntary Planning Agreements (VPA) was conducted to investigate the financial implications and liabilities on Council.

By March 2024, The Audit Office NSW (AO) had cleared City of Ryde’s Financial Statements for the 2022/23 financial year, providing City of Ryde with an Unqualified Report – with no issues raised at the completion of its audit.

I am proud to say that Council disclosed all matters in an open, ethical, transparent manner and to the highest financial standards possible.

CORK & FORK

Get your friends and family together this Sunday 17 May and head to Kissing Point Park, Putney for our fantastic Cork & Fork by the Riverside food and wine festival, running from 10.00am – 4.00pm.

You’ll enjoy a great day along the scenic Parramatta River while indulging in free tasting samples from a range of boutique wines from NSW regions, locally made spirits and craft beer.

Bring a picnic rug and grab some food from our food trucks and stalls as you groove along to music from our talented performers. Bring the kids along, too, as there will be lots of activities for them to enjoy, including ponies and amusement rides. For full details, go to ryde.events/CorkandFork

MEET THE MAYOR

I’m holding my first Meet the Mayor session for 2026 on Saturday 16 May and I’m looking forward to chatting with members of our community.

This friendly gathering aims to promote community and neighbourhood harmony and provides an informal way for people to connect with Council. 

More details can be found at www.ryde.nsw.gov.au/MeettheMayor

Sincerely, 
Trenton Brown – Mayor