Council Meeting summary – 26 November 2024

Published on 02 December 2024

Council held a meeting on Tuesday 26 November 2024. The following is a summary of outcomes from the meeting:

Presentation to the winners of the Diwali Festival of Lights competition

The Mayor presented awards to the following winners of the Diwali Lights Competition:

• Rashmi Dhongade – Winner of Best Apartment Lighting and Second Place Rangoli Artwork
• Krupa Kotecha – Winner Rangoli Artwork.

Presentation to Civic Services Manager

The Mayor presented a Certificate to Council’s Civic Services Manager, Amanda Janvrin for her 20 years of outstanding service to the City of Ryde. 

Mayoral Minute – prevention of domestic and family violence

Council resolved that it will continue to raise awareness in the local community about services and assistance available for those experiencing domestic and family violence, or those responsible for it. It will also continue to raise awareness in the community about the destructive impacts of domestic and family violence and reinforce messages about positive behaviours and social norms rejecting violence against women. Elected representatives will show leadership and model gender equality through their language, actions, and decisions.

Mayoral Minute – Edna Wilde Prize, Ryde Eisteddfod

Council will continue to donate a sum of $5,000.00 each year to Ryde Eisteddfod with the prize to be renamed the Edna Wilde Memorial Prize.

Mayoral Minute – Passing of Greg Turner

Council noted the passing of respected The Weekly Times journalist Greg Turner and observed a minute’s silence as a mark of respect.

Mayoral Minute – Local Small Commitments Allocation Program

Council noted that the Sydney Morning Herald reported on 24 October 2024 that the Local Small Commitments Allocation (LSCA) program was riddled with ‘unacceptable’ conflict of interest concerns. It lamented that Council was promised multiple grants under the scheme, including one flagged by the Premiers Department for probity risk due to ‘strong political or other affliction’ conflict types. Council further regrets that the Minns Labor Government not only undermined public confidence in this scheme but also made funding promises to the Ryde community that on one occasion saw $400,000 of taxpayer money left undelivered for its intended purpose.

Mayoral Minute – State Government rezoning of Macquarie Park Innovation District (MPID)

The Mayor will write to the:

• Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully MP, requesting that a detailed briefing on the master plan be provided to Councillors by senior staff from the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure
• NSW Premier, Chris Minns MP, and the NSW Treasurer, Daniel Mookhey MP, requesting guarantees on the provision of infrastructure and services for current and future residents, including those living in build-to-rent housing in the MPID
• Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology, Anoulack Chanthivong MP, requesting a detailed briefing be provided to Councillors on the progress of the ‘Innovation Blueprint’ and the potential role of MPID’s innovation ecosystem in this blueprint
• Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal requesting they review the rating structure for build-to-rent housing to determine whether a specific rate levy should be applied to ensure the delivery and maintenance of infrastructure and services is borne by the user and not unfairly applied to City of Ryde’s ratepayers.

Draft financial statements

The Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Chief Executive Officer and the Responsible Accounting Officer will sign the ‘Statement by Councillors and Management’ for the General Purpose Financial Statements, as contained in the FY2023/24 Draft Annual Financial Statements, pursuant to Section 413 (2)(c) of the Local Government Act 1993.

September Quarterly Budget Review and Quarter One Progress Report

Council endorsed the proposed budget variations contained in the September Quarterly Budget Review and received, noted, and endorsed the Operational Plan 2024-2024 Quarter One Progress Report July to September 2024.

Annual Report FY2023-2024     

Council received the City of Ryde’s Interim ‘Annual Report FY2023-2024’ and approved the release for public information.

Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee

Council nominated Councillor Lara-Watson as a non-voting member of the Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee and Councillor Arya as an alternate member.

Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee meetings - 23 August and 24 October

The minutes of both meetings were noted.

Managing Council functions during Christmas/new year 2024/25

The Mayor is authorised to exercise all functions of Council during the period between 12.00am on 11 December 2024 and 12.00 midnight on 24 February 2025, but only in the case of an emergency and in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer. Council acknowledged that the Mayor can exercise the policy-making functions of the governing body of the Council between meetings of the Council, but only in cases of necessity as authorised by section 226(d) of the Local Government Act 1993. Any functions of the Council exercised by the Mayor in accordance with this resolution will be communicated to all Councillors as soon as reasonably possible, in addition to a Mayoral Minute being submitted to Council’s meeting on 25 February 2025 that specifies the functions exercised, if any.

Councillor conduct and meeting practice framework

Council endorsed the Draft City of Ryde submission to the Office of Local Government in response to the Councillor Conduct and Meeting Practices Discussion Paper.

City of Ryde Community Grants, Round 2, 2024

Council endorsed funding for 27 Community Grant applications, with the total amount of funding being $161,361.

Household waste and recycling

Council will provide a household problem waste collection and recycling service to residents in 2025, with an indicative cost of $100,000 per annum. Staff will monitor the ongoing service performance and provide annual updates to Council on usage, costs, and environmental outcomes. The service will be promoted more broadly to ensure increased participation and community awareness, particularly for those living in high density dwellings.

Traffic and parking matters

Council endorsed the following recommendations on traffic, transport and/or parking improvements deliberated by the Ryde Local Traffic Committee at its meetings on 25 July, 26 September, and 28 October 2024:

• Wattle Street, West Ryde: Five out of 23 unrestricted angled parking spaces to be converted to 3-hour “3P 8AM-6PM” parking on the southern side of Wattle Street outside Anzac Park, West Ryde.
• Potts street, Ryde: A “GIVE WAY” hold line and associated signage to be installed on Potts Street at its intersection with Victoria Road, Ryde. A 30m long double barrier line be painted on Potts Street at its intersection with Victoria Road, Ryde to prohibit U-turns.
• Eastwood Town Centre: In principle support to be given to road and transport infrastructure to facilitate a High Pedestrian Activity Area within Eastwood Town Centre, except for any new raised pedestrian crossing at The Avenue.
• Rowe Street, Eastwood: 10m of “MAIL ZONE” adjacent to 102 Rowe Street to be changed to “LOADING ZONE 8AM-6PM”. 7m of “LOADING ZONE 8AM-6PM” immediately north of Council’s carpark to be changed to “MAIL ZONE”.
• Rutledge Street, Eastwood: Council requests Transport for NSW act more urgently on implementing “No Parking” on Rutledge Street (between Shaftsbury Road and Trelawney Street), noting that parked cars on Rutledge Street currently create traffic congestions during Saturday and Sunday afternoons and evenings for traffic heading west.
• Farm Street, Gladesville: An unrestricted parking space to be converted to a 2-hour (“2P”) parking space on the southern side of Farm Street outside property no. 14 Farm Street.
• Olive Street and Bridge Road, Ryde: The existing “NO STOPPING” zone to be extended by 5m on both sides of Olive Street, at the side frontage of property nos. 92 and 94 Bridge Road. “GIVE WAY” signage and line marking be installed on Olive Street at its intersection with Bridge Road. A 10m long dividing barrier (BB) centreline to be installed on Olive Street at its intersection with Bridge Road.
• 10 Monash Road and 2 College Street, Gladesville: A 23m long “NO PARKING 5AM-11AM MON-FRI WASTE VEHICLES EXCEPTED” zone to be installed on the southern side of College Street across the frontage of 10 Monash Road and 2 College Street.
• Nelson Street, Gladesville: A 35m long “2P 8AM-6PM MON-FRI AUTHORISED PERMIT HOLDERS EXCEPTED - ZONE 9” to be installed on the south-eastern side, outside property nos. 1-5 Nelson Street.
• Balaclava Road, Eastwood: The existing “1/2P 7:00AM - 8:00AM MON-SUN” parking restriction outside  98 Balaclava Road to be converted to unrestricted parking.
• Dempsey Street, North Ryde: Install “GIVE WAY” hold line and signage on Dempsey Street. Install a 7m long dividing barrier (BB) centreline on Dempsey Street. Extend the existing “NO STOPPING” zone by 6m on the southern side of Twin Road to the east of Dempsey Street.
• Lucinda Road, Marsfield: Extend the existing “NO STOPPING” zone by 6m on the northern and by 4m on the southern side of Lucinda Road outside the property nos. 1 Lucinda Road and 21 Herring Road. Install “GIVE WAY” signage and line marking on Lucinda Road at the intersection of Herring Road. Install a 7m long dividing barrier (BB) centreline on Lucinda Road at the intersection with Herring Road.
• Pittwater Road, East Ryde: “NO STOPPING” signs to be installed on the southern and eastern sides of Pittwater Road, between the Sugarloaf Track emergency driveway and Buffalo Creek Reserve entrance, where the road shoulder is too narrow to safely accommodate parking.
• Regent Street, Putney: The existing statutory “NO STOPPING” zone to be extended by 6m outside property no. 31 Regent Street.
• Cutler Parade, North Ryde: A ‘1/4P 8:00AM-6:00PM MON-FRI, 8:00AM-12:30PM SAT’ parking zone to be installed on the southern side of Cutler Parade, to the west of Blenheim Road, by reducing the current ‘NO STOPPING’ zone.
• Bellamy Avenue, Eastwood: Approximately 31m of “P5 MIN 8.00AM-9.30AM 2.30PM-5.00PM SCHOOL DAYS” be installed along the frontage of Eastwood Heights Public School on Bellamy Avenue.
• Denistone Road, Denistone: A raised pedestrian crossing to be installed outside Ryde Hospital on Denistone Road at 48 Denistone Road. The existing bus zone outside 48 Denistone Road be relocated to 44-46 Denistone Road. The existing bus zone between the current porte-cochere access of Ryde Hospital be relocated to 20m north of the exit driveway of the porte-cochere.
• Tucker Street, Ryde: The existing “1/4P 6AM-8AM 9.30AM-2.30PM 4PM-6PM MON-FRI” to be replaced with a “BUS ZONE – SCHOOL DAYS ONLY” along the Tucker Street frontage of Ryde Public School and retain the existing “KISS & RIDE - NO PARKING 8AM-9.30AM/2.30PM-4PM” zone.
• Brush Road, West Ryde: The existing children's crossing on Brush Road to be upgraded to a combined children’s and pedestrian crossing. Existing “NO STOPPING 8AM-9.30AM/2.30PM-4PM – SCHOOL DAYS” to be replaced with full time “NO STOPPING” restrictions on the approach and departure sides of the pedestrian crossing.
• Jeanette Street and Cox’s Road, East Ryde: 10m statutory “NO STOPPING” zones on Jeanette Street and Coxs Road.
• Tennyson Road, Tennyson Point: A 19m long “1/4P 8AM-6PM” zone to be installed outside property nos. 80, 84 and 86 Tennyson Road by replacing the existing “1/2P 8AM-6PM” and a single unrestricted parking.

Precis of correspondence

Council received and noted correspondence from the Deputy Secretary, Office of Local Government, dated 1 November 2024, regarding Council’s financial sustainability.

Cox’s Road shopping precinct

A report from staff will provide a detailed summary of actions undertaken by Council in the previous four years related to Cox’s Road, including cost, outcomes, and milestones achieved. The report will provide a forward-looking outline of planned actions and strategies for the next four years, specifying priorities, timelines, and anticipated outcomes. It will also include an analysis of the potential impacts of the State Government’s proposed housing reforms on Cox’s Road. The staff report will be presented to Council within four months.

Diwali celebrations

Using the Granny Smith Festival and Lunar New Year celebrations as references, Council will engage with the Indian Ocean Society of Australia and local residents, community leaders, and community groups to establish a Diwali Community Committee to deliver Diwali each year in the City of Ryde. Council will ensure that the committee actively seeks input from the diverse groups within our community who celebrate Diwali to ensure that any potential event is reflective of the traditions and cultural expressions of those it seeks to serve. Council’s Community Services team will deliver an annual Diwali celebration in the City of Ryde using funding from Community Services base budget.

Ryde grass sportsgrounds

Council will initiate a comprehensive investigation into the current state of maintenance of all grass sportsgrounds to identify methods of increasing use of fields during all weather.

Speeding in Putney

Council will investigate speeding concerns on Phillip Road between Regent Street in the west and Jetty Road in the east based on updated traffic volume and speed surveys. Staff will report on the outcomes in March 2025.

Dangerous trees

Council will call a workshop to discuss common sense policy on dangerous trees. A report will be provided to why the tree that caused property damage after it fell at Eastwood on 10 November 2024 was not deemed unsafe.

Chatham and Victoria Roads, West Ryde

Council will commission an independent Road Safety Audit to investigate safety concerns at the signalised intersection of Victoria Road and Chatham Road. The findings and potential mitigation measures (e.g. Pedestrian bollards or fencing, adjustments to traffic light phasing, improved signage, or line markings, etc.) identified in the audit are to be referred to Transport for NSW for their attention and action. The outcomes of the audit are to be reported back to Council in March 2025. The independent Road Safety Audit is to be funded from Council’s 2024/25 Roads Safety Upgrades and Improvement budget.

Christmas lights promotion

Council acknowledged the numerous locations across our City where residents display Christmas lights and decorations on their front yard. Council will promote streets and locations across the City of Ryde where the community could go to enjoy the Christmas spirit.

Pre-meeting briefings

The CEO, General Manager and Mayor will take the lead in promoting a cooperative culture amongst all by promoting and maintaining collaborative opportunities and establishing common goals. All Councillors and pertinent staff are to provide objective information to ensure unbiased and informed decisions are made by the Council body.

Housing reform

Council will remind the community that the type of build-to-rent housing proposed for the Macquarie Park Innovation District results in more expensive rent, can be built in inappropriate or unsafe locations and undermines the economic viability of councils to provide services due to its inequitable rating classification. It rejects policies that will increase the cost of housing for young people in Ryde, notes Council is already on track to exceeding its housing target by 300 percent and urges the State Government to prioritise long term planning reform and infrastructure delivery that will make a difference for our local community. 

Roadmap to FOGO

Council staff will work with NSROC and other suitable partners to investigate the current conditions in relation to availability of Sydney metro food and garden organics (FOGO) collection and processing at a suitable capacity for current and future residents of Ryde, for implementation prior to the 2030 deadline. Council staff will provide a detailed timeline and cost estimate for the proposed transition of FOGO waste services in Ryde, including identification of suitable funding sources. Staff will also develop a consultation and communications program for residents on FOGO, which includes the timeline. A report will be tabled by the April 2025 Council meeting, detailing the findings of the investigation, cost estimates, timeline, and funding options.

To view the minutes of the meeting, click here