The Common

If you would like updates on the project, please sign up here.

    Marsfield Common is a proposal by two community-based organisations, Eastwood Rugby and North Ryde RSL, to renew the TG Millner Field site by creating 132 low-rise, diverse homes and a new public park for the local community.

    Regrettably, the TG Millner rugby fields are now largely unused. The privately-owned site is at risk of either overdevelopment or decline. Marsfield Common seeks to best reconnect today’s community to the site through new neighbours, new local access, new opportunities, and new ideas.

    The proposal included community benefits such as:

    • 132 low-rise terrace homes. No apartments and no high rise. There will only be site-appropriate terrace houses of no more than 2 storeys;
    • Delivery of a new 10,000m² public park including full-sized basketball/multi-purpose sports court, an all-abilities play space, pedestrian paths, seating and fitness equipment. The value of this new public park exceeds $20million;
    • An allocation of $6 million towards affordable housing and enhancement of local sporting facilities in Ryde;
    • More green space and habitats with the planting of 570 new trees providing total canopy cover of 65% – considerably higher than Council’s 40% targets;
    • The ability for Eastwood Rugby to contribute towards the creation of three (3) new publicly owned modern rugby fields in Castle Hill.

    The Marsfield Common proposal was first submitted to Council on 18 May 2022, addressing all the matters raised by Council officers in pre-lodgement discussions and was supported and praised by Ryde Council officers in the original planning stages. The proposal was subsequently submitted to the NSW Government via the Department of Planning and Environment for consideration by the relevant Sydney District Planning Panel in December 2022. The Panel refused the application on the basis of advice from Council that the site was likely to be acquired for public open space purposes in the near future. In November 2022, Ryde Council initiated a non-exclusive negotiation process to purchase the TG Millner site from the North Ryde RSL, before seeking permission from the state government to compulsory acquire the site.

    On 12 April 2024, the NSW Government refused Ryde Council’s request to seek to compulsorily acquire TG Millner Field. The NSW Government’s decision was made because Ryde Council, despite being provided with every opportunity to do so, could not provide any strategic justification for the proposed acquisition of the site, nor does it have the monies required to acquire and regenerate TG Millner Field. In this regard, the Minister for Local Government noted that Council’s flagship Ryde Central project has stalled and is a hole in the ground, while Council officers identified a $224M shortfall in Council’s capital budget in November 2023.

    Ryde Council’s attempt to compulsorily acquire TG Millner Field had the potential to expose ratepayers to a cost approaching $80million in terms of acquiring the site and improving its facilities for public use.

    The privately-owned TG Millner site cannot stay as it is. The decision to relodge Marsfield Common will provide some certainty to the future of both the North Ryde RSL and Eastwood Rugby. This proposal is identical to the proposal NRRSL and Eastwood Rugby submitted to Ryde Council in May 2022. We truly believe that this is the best plan to regenerate TG Millner Fields for the community.

    A successful outcome will provide funding to allow Eastwood Rugby to build its state-of-the-art rugby facility, and will allow NRRSL to continue to provide financial support to numerous sporting and charitable bodies within the Ryde LGA, as well as their 27,000 members.

    Key
    Features

    132 low-rise terrace homes. No apartments and no high rise.

    New 10,000m2 public park on 15% of the site.

    Over 2,000m2 of varied play space for all ages and abilities.

    700m2 + of multi-purpose sports and leisure courts.

    An additional 570 trees to be planted and 65% canopy cover over the site.

    A $6 million contribution to affordable housing & enhancement of local sporting facilities.

    Affordable
    Housing

    To boost the supply of affordable housing in the City of Ryde, a $5million contribution was proposed to be made to Council to be applied towards key worker affordable housing.

    It was also planned to dedicate to the City of Ryde and the local community a 1 hectare public park, containing over 2,000m2 of varied play space for all ages and abilities and 700m2 of multi-purpose sports and leisure courts for sports such as volleyball, soccer, tennis, basketball, badminton and table tennis. The park would have made up 15% of the site.

    Greening Our City

    For a cooler canopy and to protect the environment, Marsfield Common planned to plant at least 570 new trees throughout the site. That meant that 65% of the site would have been be covered by tree canopy, providing shared comfort, habitat and ‘better lungs’ for the district.

    An Update on the TG Millner site

    On July 3 2024, the Marsfield Common planning proposal was relodged with Ryde Council.

    Unfortunately, a large portion of the privately-owned TG Millner complex has fallen into disuse and is now at risk of further deterioration. TG Millner field cannot stay as it is as it continues to impact the North Ryde RSL Community Club’s ability to support its members and the wider community.

    Despite our efforts over the last two years to work with Council, the initial Marsfield Common planning proposal was rejected due to a decision by Council to seek to compulsorily acquire TG Millner Field, which had the potential to expose ratepayers to a cost approaching $80million in terms of acquiring the site and improving its facilities for public use.

    Earlier this year, the NSW Government rightly rejected Council’s request to compulsorily acquire TG Millner Field as Council did not demonstrate either the strategic rationale for the proposed acquisition, or its financial capacity to acquire the site. In this regard, Ryde Council is in a dire financial situation, with Councillors being advised by Council officers on three (3) occasions since November 2023 that ‘Council may not be able to continue to operate as a going concern’.

    The decision to relodge Marsfield Common again seeks to provide some certainty to the future of both North Ryde RSL and Eastwood Rugby Clubs and our combined circa 30,000 members.

    We encourage everyone to consider the Marsfield Common proposal for themselves on the following pages of this site. This proposal was developed together with partners Eastwood Rugby and would provide 132 low-rise terrace homes and a new park, offering new public open space, housing opportunities, and a vibrant community hub for future generations.

    Close X