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A council in Sydney's north-west is attempting to change its environmental planning policy in a last-ditch effort to preserve historic sporting fields from being developed into townhouses.
The TG Millner Fields in Ryde were created in the 1960s as the home ground for Eastwood Rugby Club and has long been a breeding ground for rugby union champions, including Wallabies player Matt Burke.
In 2017 the 6.2 hectare site was sold to North Ryde RSL Club, who announced plans to develop 132 townhouses.
Members of the City of Ryde, including its council, are attempting to stand in the way of TG Millner Fields being developed into 132 townhouses. (ABC News)
After failing to forcibly purchase the three playing fields, councillors will now vote on a new plan to amend planning policies which would allow the council to re-zone the land as public recreation zone.
Liberal Mayor Trenton Brown said there was already a deficit of sports fields in the local community.
"We project with increased housing supply over the next 20 years that will increase dramatically the gap between sports field use and need … something like 20 sports fields we will be in deficit," he said.
Data from the NSW Planning Department shows Ryde is projected to be the eleventh-fastest local government area in the state in the next decade.
'This is the best plan'
North Ryde RSL has almost 30,000 members. (ABC News: Keana Naughton)
North Ryde RSL Club chief executive Joe Kelly said the grounds are not heavily used with a full-sized rugby field not having been used "at all for many years" and efforts to attract new sports to the facilities have failed.
"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," he said in a statement.
He said the redevelopment includes a one-hectare public park with sports facilities and a $6 million contribution to local council for affordable housing.
Mr Kelly said a 2022 survey the North Ryde RSL commissioned of about 400 Ryde residents found 39 per cent support for the redevelopment, 25 per cent against and 36 per cent of people undecided.
Save TG Millner, a community group opposed to the development, disputes the survey's findings.
The proposed redevelopment includes a 1 hectare public park with sports facilities. (Supplied)
Mr Kelly said funds raised by the redevelopment would "provide some certainty to the future of both the North Ryde RSL and Eastwood Rugby", which has plans to build a new facility about 20 kilometres away at Castle Hill.
"We truly believe that this is the best plan to regenerate TG Millner Fields for the community," he said.
"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."
Locals incensed by 'shameful' loss of green space
The development would displace the Carlingford Cyclones Touch Football Association.
Tracey Elliot said future generations would miss out if the redevelopment goes ahead. (ABC News: Keana Naughton)
Coach Tracey Elliot said the club's 1,000 members would be left with nowhere to train if the site becomes housing.
"It's just such a shame that it all could be gone in a blink of an eye," she said.
"We've got to think about the kids and the future, not just the now."
The local council, football clubs and community members have raised concerns about the redevelopment. (ABC News: Keana Naughton)
Local resident Josephine Lee-Joe said she is concerned about the potential increase in traffic from the development.
"It's overdeveloped already," she said.
"We've got all the new duplexes going up now and we're finding the traffic's getting quite heavy along this street."
An aerial-view artist's impression of the planned development for TG Millner Fields, which will see 132 townhouses build at its completion. (Supplied: )
Council calls on state to step in
Last year, Ryde council asked for permission to compulsorily acquire TG Millner but that was rejected by the state government over concerns about the council's ability to pay for it.
Government sources have told the ABC the total cost of purchasing TG Millner could be as high as $100 million.
The price tag to repurchasing the grounds could be as much as $100 million, well above the amount the council has set aside. (ABC News: Keana Naughton)
Ryde Council said it only has $15 million put aside but wants the state and federal governments to help make up the shortfalls.
"I call on the prime minister and premier to jointly work with council to protect and preserve this site and step in with additional financial support," Cr Brown said.
The City of Ryde is making a last-ditch attempt to preserve a historic sporting field set the be demolished for residential housing. (ABC News: Keana Naughton)
NSW Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig said in a statement the council could re-apply to purchase the fields if it found a funding source.
The federal government did not respond to the ABC's request for comment.
Last month, North Ryde RSL resubmitted its proposal with Ryde Council to rezone the TG Millner fields into residential land, after the initial proposal was stopped while the council tried to forcibly purchase the property.
The outcome of the proposal will ultimately be decided by the Sydney North Planning Panel in the coming months.