The City of Ryde is staging a community rally on Saturday 19 July to protest the recent decision by the Sydney North Planning Panel to approve the rezoning of the iconic TG Millner Fields, opening the door for this precious 6.2ha of active open space to be redeveloped for housing.
Hundreds of concerned residents are expected to attend the 10.00-11.30am gathering at Marsfield Park to send a message to the state and federal governments that the Ryde community needs more active open space as it prepares for an unprecedented rise in housing density and population over the next 15 years.
City of Ryde Mayor Trenton Brown called for the Ryde community to show up in force.
"The passionate campaign to save TG Millner and to preserve and grow the amount of active open space in the City of Ryde has always been driven by the community," Mayor Brown said.
"Our future generations of kids deserve the opportunity to participate in sports – but with an existing shortfall of sports fields set to increase to 21 by 2040, that opportunity is being threatened by decisions like the one that may take TG Millner from us.
"Bring your signs, your banners and your voices. It's time to show some People Power."
On 10 June 2025, the independent Sydney North Planning Panel (SNPP) determined that a rezoning proposal by the landowner North Ryde RSL and developer Winston Langley should progress through the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure's (DPHI) Gateway process. The proposal relates to rezoning the land from RE2 – Private Recreation to a combination of R2 – Low Density Residential and RE1 – Public Recreation. This means the proposal will now be assessed by the State Government through SNPP as the Planning Proposal Authority.
A previous attempt by the proponents to rezone the land was rejected by the SNPP in 2022 because the panel found housing proposal failed to adequately demonstrate strategic merit. TG Millner was also adjudged at that time to have the potential to contribute to the amount of open space needed to service the future population of the Ryde LGA.
Approval in 2025 will now pave the way for the 132-dwelling Marsfield Common development to proceed.
"The proposal that has been approved now is identical to that which was previously dismissed," said Mayor Brown.
"There is no addition in this townhouse plan of active open space, which has been the crux of Council's fight to retain TG Millner for community use."
Mayor Brown said both Council and community understood the need for housing uplift across the Sydney metropolitan area as a response to the housing crisis but said the right balance needed to be struck by the State Government between increased residential density and essential accompanying infrastructure.
This was especially important for the Macquarie Park Innovation District (MPID) – adjacent to the TG Millner site – which will be the focus of a residential development boom over the coming decade, spearheaded by the State Government's Transport Oriented Development (TOD) rezoning.
"We are not a NIMBY Council but with 22,000 new homes already in the planning pipeline for the MPID, and a further 15,000 predicted as part of the TOD plans, the need for more active open space for an exponentially growing population is more acute than ever," Mayor Brown said.
"Under the National Housing Accord agreed upon between state, territory and Commonwealth governments, NSW must deliver 377,000 new well-located homes across the state by 2029, which includes the significant uplift planned for Ryde.
"It is therefore imperative that our state and federal governments as the architects of this uplift step in to help fund and provide the parks and fields that will enable our growing number of kids to run around and kick a ball and for our sporting teams to call home."
Save Our Open Space Rally
When: Saturday 19 July 2025
Time: 10.00 - 11.30am
Where: Marsfield Park (Vimiera Road entrance)
