COUNCIL IN THE SPOTLIGHT
There was considerable media interest in the activities and initiatives undertaken by the City of Ryde in 2019/20, with Council receiving more than 800 media mentions. Of these, 36 percent were positive, 17 percent negative and 47 percent neutral. The issues that attracted the most coverage were: The New Heart of Ryde Formal consultation on the new vision for the Ryde Civic Centre was undertaken by the City of Ryde in the first half of 2019/20. Described as ‘The New Heart of Ryde’, the vision endorsed by Council will deliver a four-fold increase in community facilities while retaining complete public ownership of the site. Through the duration of the formal consultation, a number of community stakeholders voiced their support for The New Heart of Ryde, including schools, businesses and community organisations. At the completion of formal consultation, 85 percent of respondents indicated that they supported the proposal and Council resolved to progress with the plans. The tender to design and construct The New Heart of Ryde was subsequently awarded to Taylor Construction Group in May 2020.
The New Heart of Ryde community consultation
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