Mayor's Community Message

2 April

CIVIC CENTRE ACTION

Over the coming months, I’ll be explaining how after more than a decade of inactivity, poor decision making and mismanagement this Council is taking decisive action to finally give the City of Ryde community the civic centre and community hub it needs and deserves.

At the 10 December 2024 Ordinary Meeting, Council made important decisions regarding the 1 Devlin Street site – home of the infamous ‘hole in the ground’ – and the adjoining 150-156 Blaxland Road site, which is currently used as a car park.

Soon, we will be taking to market an Expression of Interest (EOI) campaign for the long-term lease of 1 Devlin Street. This leasehold will provide Council with vital funding needed to construct a multi-storey civic centre, including a cultural and community hub and an element of affordable housing at 150-156 Blaxland Road.

This sound financial strategy will enable both of these critical sites to remain in public ownership and also help to fulfil Council’s obligation to help ease Sydney’s crippling housing crisis.

I am looking forward to an exciting outcome that will benefit the City of Ryde community for generations to come.

TG MILLNER PLAN

At the 25 March 2025 Ordinary Meeting, it was resolved that I write to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, NSW Premier Chris Minns, and other stakeholders to request joint Federal and State funding for the future embellishment of TG Millner Fields.

This request comes in anticipation that Council will succeed in its long-stated plan to compulsorily acquire this significant 6.2ha of green open space which the community desperately needs as our population and density expands in coming years.

It is worth noting that in June 2024, the Federal and State governments committed to joint funding of $30 million to enable ‘critical upgrades’ at Leichhardt Oval. At the time, Prime Minister Albanese said: “My Government understands the important role suburban grounds play in the quality of life for Australians”.

I believe that the purchase and embellishment of TG Millner is just as critical, given that the nearby Macquarie Park Innovation District is being earmarked for 37,000 new homes under the State Government’s radical rezoning proposals.

The passionate and ongoing community campaign to save TG Millner from developers’ bulldozers indicates that many of you feel the same.

I will keep you informed of any developments.  

Sincerely, 
Trenton Brown – Mayor