Due to lack of usage by locals, a rugby club has the audacious proposal to demolish its own local sports grounds in order to create residences and a park.
On the privately held TG Millner Field in Marsfield, 132 terrace dwellings and a private park were planned by North Ryde RSL and Eastwood Rugby.
According to a spokeswoman, the RSL and rugby club were permitted to create senior housing under the current planning regulations, but their idea would benefit the neighborhood more.
He said that newcomers from countries where “rugby is not popular,” such as China, India, Korea, and the Philippines, would not be interested in the rugby fields.
The “Marsfield Commons” developers said the facility needed to be revitalized since it had reached the end of its useful life.
According to a statement on the organization’s website, 68% of the local population is descended from nations where rugby is seldom ever played.
Only 4% of Eastwood rugby players reside in the Ryde LGA, according to statistics.
The mayor and Ryde’s Liberal MP, Victor Dominello, have both openly rejected the proposals, with the local representative calling them “absolutely unacceptable.”
According to Mr. Dominello, Sydney’s publicly accessible open space is precious, and once it has been covered by buildings, it cannot be restored.
The Sydney Morning Herald quoted him as saying, “That’s why we must strive to safeguard TG Millner Field for future generations.”
“If supporters of the idea believe rugby is no longer popular, then we should cooperate to accommodate other sports,” they said.
Jordan Lane, the mayor of Ryde, expressed concern over the project and told the media that TG Millner was a “great field, deserving of preservation.”
The demographics and demands of the local community have “vastly altered in recent decades,” according to the website supporting the proposed plans.
Sadly, the private property TG Milner is no longer significantly important to the neighborhood in which it is located.
According to rugby and licensed club use, “TG Millner Field has reached the end of its life and needs to be renovated to give advantages to the local community.”
Area rugby teams Ryde, Beecroft, and Central Eastwood only utilized the fields 12 times over the course of three years, including youth rugby, while local schools only used the field 10 times throughout that time.
Modern, site-appropriate housing, community leisure areas, more tree cover, landscaping, and a new public park are all included in the proposal’s promises.
Additionally, $1 million was promised by Eastwood Rugby and North Ryde RSL toward the construction of a synthetic field in the Ryde neighborhood.
According to the website, “This $1 million donation to a synthetic field in the LGA will offer a year-round optimum playing surface for local children of all ages.”
On Sundays, only members of the Ryde-Eastwood Hawks rugby league team utilize the TG Millner Field.
Michael Frain, the manager of football operations, said that if the construction were approved, the neighborhood club would have nowhere to play.
Local council officials, many of whom have previously voted against the elimination of green space in the LGA, are in charge of the plan.
According to the mayor of the city, Ryde will require 13 more sports fields by 2036 to keep up with demand and population expansion.
Decimating one of our major open places would considerably put our cause back, according to Mr. Lane.