The year in review

A MESSAGE FROM OUR MAYOR

On behalf of everyone at the City of Ryde, I present the 2019/20 Annual Report.

2019/20 has been an extremely challenging period for everyone in our community.

We have all been impacted in some way by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In a matter of weeks after COVID-19 was first detected in Australia, the pandemic had destroyed our economy, forced most of us to work remotely and dramatically changed the way we interact with others.

If that was not enough of a challenge, we also had to endure a number of extreme weather events – from violent storms to devastating bushfires – that will have a lasting impact on our local environment for some time.

Despite the serious challenges we faced in 2019/20, as you will read in this Annual Report, the City of Ryde has still been able to deliver on its ambitious and progressive agenda over the past 12 months. Some of the highlights include:

Supporting economic growth

We have forged ahead with major projects such as the Ryde Central redevelopment, which will pump more than $100 million into our economy and generate new jobs while building a much-needed community facility. We also progressed with plans to build the new Rowe Street East car park which will fix chronic parking shortages and encourage shoppers back to Eastwood (construction commenced October 2020).

Creating new and improved open spaces

As we adjust to a COVID-19 normal way of life, our open spaces have never been so important. Wilga Park underwent an extensive upgrade and was opened to the public, while work commenced on the new Kings Park in Denistone East (which opened to the public in September 2020). We also continued our roll out of new and improved outdoor recreation facilities, including at Morrison Bay Park which now features a 1.3 kilometre fitness trail. Five new or upgraded playgrounds were also completed.

Enhancing our town centres

We continued to reinvigorate and activate our town centres, completing an extensive upgrade of Coulter Street in Gladesville while installing eye-catching public artworks in areas of high foot traffic such as the Eastwood pedestrian underpass. Community consultation for a major $4 million upgrade to Ryedale Road was also undertaken.

Safeguarding our environment

We continued to make massive strides in our commitment to safeguard the environment, reduce waste and improve the quality of local waterways. Highlights included becoming the first council to commit to a Zero Litter to River Target by 2030 and also endorsing the Parramatta River Masterplan, which aims to improve the overall health of the Parramatta River.

Tackling climate change

Acknowledging the worsening impact of climate change on our environment, Council adopted a 100 percent renewable energy target by 2030. We also introduced electric vehicles and accompanying charging stations into our fleet, while our Solar PV project at the Ryde Aquatic Leisure Centre was a finalist at the 2019 Cities Power Partnership Awards.

Protecting our heritage

Council endorsed wide-ranging reforms that will provide stronger protections for more than 300 items and areas of heritage significance across the City of Ryde. We also submitted a planning proposal to heritage list the iconic Macquarie Ice Rink after the State Government chose not to follow through with their promise to list the iconic venue.

Celebrating our City

Despite numerous challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, we were still able to stage many of our popular community events. This included moving many events online to ensure the health and safety of everyone. We were also able to launch a number of new events throughout 2019/20, such as the West Ryde Summer Series and Ryde-In: The Lounge Sessions, which gave a platform for local artists to showcase their many talents.

Crucially, given Council’s solid financial position, we were also able to provide assistance to those that have needed it the most since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Australian shores. Since the beginning of 2020 we have:

• Provided relief for ratepayers by introducing a Financial Hardship Policy in which approved JobSeeker and JobKeeper applicants may defer rates payments and are eligible for a $400 Council rates rebate • Waived and deferred rent for café and restaurant owners operating from

Council premises as well as other commercial tenants of Council

• Helped small businesses by waiving more than 40 different fees and charges for six months

• Reformed the way we purchase by introducing a new procurement policy that supports local business and helps generate employment

• Helped local sports clubs by waiving ground hire and sports field lighting costs upon application

• Backed Eastwood by establishing the Eastwood Small Business Hardship

Fund, which provided support grants for more than 230 eligible businesses during the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are also committed to the City of Ryde’s economic recovery, with Council endorsing a Budget and Capital Works program for 2020/21 that forecasts total capital expenditure of $80.64 million.

Despite this investment, I am under no illusions that the road to recovery will be an easy one. But as Council has demonstrated throughout 2019/20, here in the City of Ryde we are, and always will be, stronger together.

A MESSAGE FROM OUR GENERAL MANAGER

The City of Ryde’s 2019/20 Annual Report provides a detailed overview on Council’s performance over the 12-month period.

While every year presents various challenges, 2019/20 was exceptional. Not only did we encounter extreme weather events, but also the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic recession that subsequently followed.

The COVID-19 pandemic was particularly challenging as it forced the temporary closure of Council’s community facilities, services as well as parks, playgrounds and sports grounds in line with Public Health Orders issued by the State Government. It also required the vast majority of Council’s staff to work remotely.

Continuing to deliver

It is testament to the dedicated workforce we have at the City of Ryde that Council was still able to not only deliver all of its critical services during this uncertain period but also initiate additional programs in order to assist those isolated within the community as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The agility and professionalism shown by staff along with the understanding of the community ensured that Council was able to deliver on our strategic objectives as outlined by the City of Ryde’s Community Strategic Plan – Our Vision for Ryde 2028. During 2019/20, Council invested $128 million to provide services that directly align to the Community Strategic Plan. An additional $65 million has been spent on capital works across the plan’s outcomes, including roads, footpaths, open space, sport and recreation, traffic and transport, as well as improvements to stormwater infrastructure.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for our services and open spaces did not abate. There were more than 1.6 million visits to City of Ryde sportsgrounds, facilities and libraries during the year, justifying our continued emphasis on upgrading and maintaining vital infrastructure and assets.

Financial performance

Council’s strong financial performance – which includes a cash reserves position of $206 million and an uncommitted working capital balance of $4.5 million – also ensured we could help residents and businesses in the community who were financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes the introduction of a Financial Hardship Policy to assist ratepayers undergoing financial stress and also waiving a range of fees for businesses and local community organisations.

City of Ryde staff:

"Council was still able to not only deliver all of its critical services during this uncertain period but also initiate additional programs..." George Dedes, General Manager

Our strong financial position also puts us on a solid footing to navigate through the recovery we will need to embark on through any of the economic headwinds that may emerge in coming years.

Central to this is investing in major projects that will assist with the economic recovery and accommodate the future growth that the City of Ryde will experience over the next decade.

This includes progressing with plans with the Ryde Central project, which will redevelop the Ryde Civic Centre site by delivering more community facilities and helping reactivate the area with the addition of retail and office space.

Direction for the future

We are also developing a new Local Housing Strategy, which will provide key directions for the future housing supply of our City, ensuring housing is inclusive and suitable to our local character and amenity, with the appropriate infrastructure available.

In addition, Council has partnered with key Macquarie Park stakeholders to build on the business district’s economic success story and support its transformation into one of the world’s leading innovation hubs.

Work is also underway to activate more open spaces through the delivery of new parks and modern playgrounds across the local government area.

Given the extreme weather events we endured in 2019/20, we are taking steps to address our preparedness for such events in the future and to be in a position to adequately respond to the emerging challenges posed by climate change. As proof of this we have already become the first council in NSW to adopt a comprehensive local resilience plan and have committed to a 100 percent renewable energy target by 2030.

On behalf of everyone at Council, I look forward to continuing our work to deliver the services and programs that matter for everyone in the community.

George Dedes City of Ryde General Manager