The City of Ryde has announced it will support a community campaign to help save the TG Millner Fields.
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 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. 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.
Following an ordinary Council meeting held on 25 October 2022, Council voted to endorse a submission to the NSW Department of Planning and Environment opposing the planning proposal.
Council will also write to the Prime Minister, Premier of NSW, the NSW Minister for Planning, the Member for Ryde, the Member for Epping, the Member for Lane Cove, and the Member for Bennelong advising of our position and seeking their commitment or reaffirmation of their support for the retention of this important public recreational open space.
City of Ryde Mayor Clr Jordan Lane says the land should continue to be accessed and used by the community.
“Open space areas are critical to strategic planning in major cities and are a dwindling resource in Greater Sydney. It is very important that people have access to places, near their homes, where they can relax, exercise and enjoy the natural environment.
“This land is really important to a number of our local sporting clubs and they continue to use the field for sporting practice and games every year. I welcome the resolution moved by West Ward Councillor, Trenton Brown, who spoke passionately about the need to protect our precious open spaces.
“We support strategic development in our growing city, but it also needs to be appropriate development.”
City of Ryde CEO Wayne Rylands says the Council is encouraging community support in order to protect the fields.
“We would really like the community to get involved to help protect the TG Millner Fields.
“We have set up a campaign website, which allows people to show their support for protecting this open space.
“We would encourage people to come to the website and help get involved in this campaign.”
