Community rallying to save TG Millner Fields
Published on 25 November 2022
The community is rallying to prevent a sports field in northern Sydney from being redeveloped.
The TG Millner Fields, situated in Marsfield in Sydney, were donated by the Millner family to the Eastwood Rugby Club in the 1960s.
TG Millner remains a vitally important open green space venue for sports and recreation teams year-round in the City of Ryde and no such facilities exist elsewhere in the local government area.
The TG Millner land was sold by Eastwood Rugby Club to North Ryde RSL in 2017 for $18 million as open space. The owner has submitted a planning proposal to the NSW Department of Planning and Environment seeking to rezone the land to enable them to develop it for 132 dwellings.
The independent Sydney North Planning Panel will decide on Wednesday 30 November if the Planning Proposal can proceed to Gateway, indicating whether or not it has merit to progress to exhibition.
Toby Lord, the organiser behind grassroots community campaign Save TG Millner, says once this open space is lost it can never be replaced.
“TG Millner is important for not only sport, but as a green open space. The number of local sporting groups that rely on TG Millner as their place for recreation, represent thousands of players, parents, families, coaches, support staff, officials and fans.
“Many of these clubs cannot simply pack up and relocate to new grounds, as the demand for these spaces at other venues is already at capacity.
“No new green open space and playing fields are being created or could possibly be created in the City of Ryde or nearby LGAs.
“Any development will take away space that when it is gone it will not and cannot be replaced.”
The City of Ryde has also opposed the redevelopment plan and supports the community push.
City of Ryde Chief Executive Officer Wayne Rylands says the city supports development, but only when it is appropriately located.
“City of Ryde is already on track to exceed housing targets set by the Greater Cities Commission.
“At this point there is no need for additional capacity for low density residential development of this scale, which is what is being proposed.
“The Council supports sensible development. We want to see this City continue to grow in a sustainable manner and redeveloping this sporting field just doesn’t make sense in that context.”
Click here more information about the campaign and to show your support for Council’s position.