In one of his last acts before Saturday's local elections, Ryde Council Mayor Trenton Brown tabled a mayoral minute proposing to rezone T.G. Millner playing fields in Marsfield, 16km northwest of Sydney's CBD, into a RE1 Public Recreation Zone, which would prevent a planned development of 132 terrace houses for over-55s by the land's owner North Ryde RSL sought since 2017.
In 2017, North Ryde RSL agreed to rejuvenate the playing fields with an underground car park and new clubhouse. To fund it, it proposed to build 132 terraced houses for the over 55s as the land rezoning allowed. The following year NSW Government imposed a ban on development in the area of Ryde Local Government and North Ryde RSL shelved its plan.
In May 2022, the RSL lodged plans for a 1ha public park, the 132 terraced homes and $5 million in affordable housing. In October 2022, the registered club prepared a State Significant Development for the senior housing. But in November, Ryde Council failed to meet the statutory deadline to consider the development application and the RSL went to the NSW Planning Department.
The followng month, the North Sydney Planning Panel rejected the proposal as it was informed that the NSW Government wants to compulsorily buy the land. The purchase does not eventuate.
The RSL tried again with the local Council in July, which led to the mayor's minute proposing to “introduce a mechanism to protect public access to TG Millner fields through an amendment to the Ryde Local Environment Plan”.
The rezoning proposal must be lodged with the State Government for approval.
“This land grab by stealth will make our property at Marsfield close to worthless and will place North Ryde RSL in a perilous financial position,” North Ryde RSL chief executive Joe Kelly told the Sydney Morning Herald. “This behaviour might be expected in a dictatorial state, not in the democracy we live in.”
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