A NEW DIRECTION ANNUAL REPORT 2017/18 ABOUT THIS REPORT Delivering for our community Delivering our future 2017 Granny Smith Festival Caption needed here CITY OF RYDE ANNUAL REPORT 2017/18 About this Report The theme of this year’s Annual Report ‘A New Direction’ reflects a year focusing on delivering the facilities, services, events, neighbourhoods and open spaces that our community seeks, now that the uncertainty over our future as an independent council has passed. The report focuses on the This report also contains Standard financial and operational Disclosures from the Global Reporting performance of the City of Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Ryde in 2017/18, documenting Guidelines. It includes a quadruple our performance against the bottom line approach to social, 2017/18 budget, and our economic, environmental and progress against our Four-Year governance outcomes. The GRI index Delivery Plan 2017 – 2021. on page 251 lists the location of relevant indicators within the It includes a snapshot of our Annual Report for further information. performance (both highlights and challenges) and an overview Acknowledgement of our outlook for the future, including our plans to ensure The City of Ryde acknowledges the the sustainability of our Wallumedegal clan of the Dharug people organisation, our City and as the traditional custodians of this land. the community we serve. Audience for this report Our Government Information This report is intended to provide (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA) important information to a broad range Annual Report is also included in of stakeholders including City of Ryde the Statutory Information section residents and ratepayers, local of this report. Although we are businesses, non-government not required to prepare a organisations, our partners and other separate State of the government departments and agencies. Environment report, we have It also provides our staff with information discussed the sustainability on how well we have performed over the initiatives we have undertaken year, how their efforts have contributed both in our community and in to achieving our vision and what to our organisation in our City expect in the coming year. of Environmental Sensitivity and Liveable Neighbourhoods outcomes. 1 CONTENTS Contents Welcome to Year in Civic the City of Review Leadership Ryde Annual Report for 2017/18 Our City From the Mayor Our Councillors 04 07 26 General Manager’s Review Governing our City 09 34 Our Vision, Mission and Values Committee set-up 10 36 Our Stakeholders Organisational Leadership 12 38 Our Performance Snapshot Integrated Planning and 14 Reporting Framework Managing the Money 40 Our new Community 16 Strategic Plan Event Highlights 42 22 Sustainability Statement Awards and Recognition 45 24 2 CITY OF RYDE ANNUAL REPORT 2017/18 Outcomes Financials Statutory 2017/18 Information A City of Liveable Chief Financial Local Government Neighbourhoods Officer’s Report Reporting 48 159 235 A City of Wellbeing General Purpose Global Reporting 60 Financial Statements Initiative index A City of Prosperity 161 251 Special Purpose Glossary 74 Financial Statements A City of Environmental 256 Sensitivity 215 Index 86 Special Schedules 258 A City of Connections 224 106 A City of Harmony and Culture 122 A City of Progressive Leadership 138 Lunar New Year 3 OUR CITY 116,302 40 residents in 2016 square kilometres total city land area Our Over Over city , , 96local jobs 500 12businesses 200 4 town centres 29neighbourhood centres The traditional owners of the area now known as Ryde were the Wallumedegal clan of the Dharug people, the name Our being derived from their term for the snapper fish, wallumai. Wallumedegal territory followed the north bank of the Parramatta River from Turrumburra story (Lane Cove River) in the east to Burramatta at the head of the river to the west. Reminders of their presence can still be found in rock carvings and middens along the rivers that make up our boundaries. Following European settlement at Hornsby Sydney Cove in 1788, the City of Ryde Shire Council can trace its origins as the third-oldest Ku-Ring-Gai settlement in Australia. Council Marsfield Macquarie Park Eastwood North Ryde WEST WARD Denistone East Chatswood West Denistone West Denistone West Ryde EAST WARD CENTRAL WARD Ryde Parramatta Meadowbank Willoughby City City Melrose Park East Ryde Lance Cove River Council Gladesville Putney Tennyson Point Hunters Hill Municipality 4 CITY OF RYDE ANNUAL REPORT 2017/18 B , , $ . 43020 Gross households in 2016 169 47rateable properties621 Regional Product Ryde and Meadowbank 24 primary Colleges of TAFE, Macquarie University schools, 5 high which enrol with schools and over 16,200 school , , students 45students 000 13students each000 year HA City managed parks 5 205of bushland 217 Hospitals 56 sportsfields The first grants of land were made to This name was well-established by The City of Ryde continues to be eight marines on 3 January 1792 in the 12 November 1870 when the Municipal attractive to a highly diverse population, modern-day suburb of Melrose Park. District of Ryde was officially proclaimed. from newly arrived immigrants to The area was named the ‘Field of Mars’, The first elections took place in 1871. Australia, drawn by the diverse lifestyle, by Governor Phillip after the Roman god education and employment of war, to reflect the military association The establishment and later opportunities available, and to with these new settlers. Further land subdivision of the Common during families who have lived in the area grants to emancipated convicts followed the 1880s was another defining for generations. later that year, followed by more land feature of Ryde’s history. grants in 1794 and 1795. Today, more than 116,302 residents In the 20th century Chinese and Italian originating from 101 countries speaking By 1803 most of the accessible land market gardeners were attracted to the 72 languages call the City of Ryde home. along the Parramatta River and area. With such sizeable blocks available overlooking ridges had been granted. for resumption or purchase in the 1950s More than 55,904 of our residents speak Governor King recognised that many of and 1960s, there was land for Macquarie a language other than English at home. the settlers had insufficient land for their University to be established and for the stock and so in 1804 set aside a large development of the North Ryde industrial area of public land for use by local area, now called Macquarie Park. inhabitants. This arc of land across the In 1894 the residents of the north-west north of the current LGA was the Field third seceded and created their own of Mars Common. municipality, the Municipality of The early settlers had called the area Marsfield, later re-named Eastwood. by various names including Eastern On 1 January 1949, as part of Farms or Kissing Point, but by 1841 a Sydney-wide municipal amalgamations, new name, Ryde, was emerging for the it re-joined Ryde. Ryde LGA gained district. It derived from Ryde on the city status in 1992. Isle of Wight and first appeared on a subdivision plan for the proposed village to be created around St. Anne’s Church. 5 THE YEAR IN REVIEW The Year in Review 6 Citizen of the Year Awards CITY OF RYDE ANNUAL REPORT 2017/18 Throughout the year Citizenship Ceremonies welcomed 890new citizens to our community From the Mayor Welcome to the City of Ryde Council’s This includes a commitment to divest its 2017/18 Annual Report. investment portfolio from fossil fuel- aligned financial institutions, supporting When the residents of Ryde elected a new renewable and clean energy solutions Council in September 2017 they heralded and becoming one of the first councils to a new direction for this great city. phase out single-use plastics. As you will read in this annual report, As the City of Ryde has undergone over 10 months we have transformed the unprecedented growth, Council has also way Council delivers for the community, had to take measures to halt the effects implementing an ambitious agenda that of residential overdevelopment. has delivered benefits for everyone who lives, works and plays in Ryde. We have done this by rightly opposing a number of NSW Government planning Central to Council’s achievements is policies which has put unfair pressure almost $43 million that has been on our existing infrastructure, transport invested in capital works to create more networks and local amenity. liveable neighbourhoods across our city. Council’s efforts were successful in the This money has been directed towards City of Ryde receiving a deferral to the initiatives that benefit everyone, creating NSW Government’s Medium Density more open spaces, state-of-the-art parks Housing Code, which would have and playgrounds, and new and improved destroyed our low density areas by facilities as well as vital infrastructure making 62.5 percent of all land in that will serve the current and future our city capable of being developed generations well for decades. for medium density housing. We have also taken measures to We will continue to pursue all legal encourage more business activity in the and planning options available to City of Ryde and grow our economic secure a complete exemption from output, because as a Council we the Government’s Medium Density understand a stronger local economy Housing code. brings benefits to the whole community. While we are proud of our initial Among the measures were efforts to achievements, I am happy to report promote innovation in collaboration with there is a lot more to come. the Macquarie Park Innovation District, supporting small business and doing more to create a vibrant, active night- time economy throughout our city. In addition, the City of Ryde Council has led the way with progressive leadership, introducing key policies that protect the environment not just locally, but also nationwide.