“Do or die” for TG Millner Field, as mayor urges locals to get involved before it’s too late

The debate about TG Millner Field has been bubbling away for nearly a decade, but we are entering the final stretch.

Locals have less than three weeks to make their feelings known about the home of Eastwood Rugby, ahead of the NSW Government deciding whether to allow a 132-residence development to proceed.

What happened: Since 2017, TG Millner Field has been owned by North Ryde RSL Club. The club claimed that over time maintenance costs for the three fields had become prohibitive and in 2021 it began looking at other uses for the land.

Plans to convert the playing fields to low-rise housing in 2022 were rejected by the local planning panel. 

Meanwhile, Ryde Council wanted to buy the land from North Ryde RSL for use as public space. However, this required the approval of NSW Minister for Local Government, Ron Hoenig, who told the council it didn’t have sufficient funds for the purchase.

In 2024, the RSL had another crack at development, and this time gained approval from the planning panel and state government to rezone the land.

At the end of 2025, the land was sold by North Ryde RSL for about $46 million to property developers Winston Langley and Abadeen, who are moving forward with development proposals.

What will it look like: If approved, the land would be transformed into a small community, with 58 semi-detached and 74 terraced homes. All 132 dwellings would be two-storey. The development would maintain some of the park as open green space. 

Do or die: With the proposal now on public exhibition until April 21, the mayor of Ryde Trenton Brown has said it is “do or die” for the playing field, urging locals to make submissions via the state planning proposal website.

Once the public exhibition period closes, Ryde Council can make a submission on the proposed development to the NSW Government. However, ultimate power rests with the state and council does not have the ability to reject the project.

At last month’s council meeting, a petition with 1,137 signatures supporting the preservation of the three fields was tabled. 

The Woods: Eastwood Rugby Club has called TG Millner Field home since 1963, and this is its final season there. 

In 2020 the club said it would ultimately relocate to Castle Hill, after signing an agreement with Hills Shire Council.

What now?: The Department of Planning contact responsible for the proposal would not comment on how long the remaining process would take. Similar planning proposals indicate it could be at least a year until a final decision is handed down.