The City of Ryde would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of this land, the Wattamattagal (or Wallumedegal) clan of the Dharug nation and their enduring connection to country and the care of our waterways and the natural environment. The City of Ryde would also like to pay respect to Elders both past, present and emerging, and extend that respect to other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Mayor’s Message
Welcome to City of Ryde’s Smarter, Cleaner, Greener Achievements report for 2024/25.
As you will see, it was a busy and highly successful year as Council continued its ambitious and far-reaching program towards sustainability, with the support of our wonderfully engaged and proactive community.
This City of Ryde is well aware of the importance of building resilience and protecting our beautiful and vital natural environment in the face of two major challenges – a changing climate and an increased building density and population brought about by our response to Sydney’s housing crisis. I have lobbied hard for the State Government to provide essential civic infrastructure – especially much needed open green space – as part of the housing uplift that is taking place across our City. I believe that we must strive to build sustainable, resilient communities, not just more apartment towers.
The City of Ryde is fully committed to its net zero target by the year 2035. The City of Ryde has reduced its operational greenhouse gas emissions by 8,152 tonnes compared to the 2018/19 base year, thanks to our 100 percent renewable electricity contract and other sustainability initiatives.
We also have a net zero target for our community by the year 2040 or as soon as possible, with interim emissions targets of 76 percent reduction on 2018/19 emissions by 2029/30.
With that target in mind, we recently launched a Net Zero Prospectus to reaffirm our commitment to attracting companies to invest in the state significant Macquarie Park Innovation District that are similarly committed to a net zero objective.
I am confident our community and businesses will work hard to achieve our shared goal.
I commend this report to you and hope that by working together we can all contribute to a strong, sustainable and resilient City and a net zero future that will benefit many future generations to come.
Trenton Brown City of Ryde Mayor
A Year in Review
This 2024/25 financial year, the City of Ryde continued to strengthen its commitment to environmental sustainability and community resilience. A healthy environment supports a thriving economy and society, and Council has taken meaningful steps to protect our natural spaces while preparing for the challenges of a changing climate.
Our focus has been on building a more resilient City and progressing toward a net zero emissions future. Implementing a wide range of local programs to reduce waste, improve sustainability and protect the natural areas that make Ryde such a special place to live.
In response to increasing risks from storms, heatwaves and bushfires disaster preparedness and emergency management workshops have been held to assist our community. The Ryde Resilience Plan 2030 recognises the diverse needs of our community and the complex challenges that can affect a community’s ability to respond to and recover from major events. Through community engagement and planning, we’re helping residents prepare for and adapt to these growing threats.
Our community has been encouraged to use public transport, electric vehicles and carshare options to reduce community transport emissions. At the same time, we’ve advanced our efforts toward a Circular Economy – an approach that focuses on reducing waste and making the most of our resources by reusing, repairing and recycling.
A major highlight this financial year was the official opening of the Putney Beach Swim Site. This new site is part of our commitment to revitalising the river and reconnecting residents with our natural waterways. With improved water quality and upgraded facilities, the Putney Beach Swim Site provides a refreshing recreational space for families, swimmers, and nature lovers to cool off and enjoy the river. It also supports our broader goals under the Parramatta River Masterplan to make the river swimmable again and enhance public access to blue-green spaces across the City of Ryde.
As Ryde continues to grow, we’re working hard to protect our biodiversity and green spaces. Our Biodiversity Plan provides a framework for managing and enhancing natural areas, ensuring that our flora and fauna are preserved even as new housing developments emerge. The Urban Forest Strategy supports this by aiming to reverse the decline in tree canopy coverage and cool our City. We’ve also introduced a new Verge and Nature Strip Policy to encourage greener streetscapes. We continue to care for over 350 hectares of open space across 204 sites, including bushland, parks, and sports fields. These ‘green lungs’ of our City are essential to our wellbeing, and their future is being shaped by thoughtful planning and community input. This financial year has been full of exciting projects and we are more committed than ever to build a Smarter, Cleaner, Greener and more resilient City of Ryde.
Regards,
The City Resilience, Circular Economy and Parks and Open Spaces teams
Net Zero Emissions – Climate Action
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction
Council has achieved a cumulative reduction of 8,152 tonnes (Co2e) of greenhouse gas emissions — representing a 70 percent decrease in emissions across the organisation compared to the 2018/19 baseline year.
Sustainable Concrete Initiatives
To address one of the largest sources of emissions, Council continued the use of low carbon concrete in footpath construction throughout 2024/25, where feasible. This sustainable alternative results in 30 percent lower emissions compared to standard concrete. Additional large-scale projects, including cycleways, will also incorporate low carbon concrete.
Energy Consumption Reduction
In 2024/25, Council reduced its total annual energy consumption from mains gas and electricity by 16.9 percent compared to the 2018/19 baseline year.
Enhanced Environmental and Emissions Monitoring
Council has strengthened its environmental monitoring systems by commencing the measurement of Scope 3 emissions. To support this, Council has taken steps to reduce emissions through sustainable procurement.
Energy Efficiency Upgrades
Council has completed a full upgrade of lighting in Ryde Park to energy-efficient LEDs, delivering significant reductions in both energy use and operational costs. These cost savings will be reinvested into future sustainability initiatives, supporting Council's journey to net zero emissions.
ENERGY-EFFICIENT LEDS IN RYDE PARK
Fossil Fuel Divestment
Council’s commitment to responsible investment continues, with 55.83 percent of its total investment portfolio divested from fossil fuel-aligned institutions as of 30 June 2025.
Net Zero Emissions – Climate Action
HWSA Program
Our Home Waste and Sustainability Advisory Service provided 118 individual tailored assessments in 2024/25, helping households to reduce their waste, energy and water consumption and environmental footprints. This program also encourages recycling and composting to reduce waste placed in the household red lid bins. 68 percent of participants are now using, or have taken steps to use, composting or worm farming to manage their organic waste. The three winners of this year’s annual ‘Ryde Eco Home Challenge’ under the Home Waste and Sustainability Advisory Service chose to improve the efficiency of their home and reduce their Green House Gas (GHG) emissions by installing a home battery, an energy efficient fridge upgrade and an energy and water efficient dishwasher upgrade. The service is free and open to all Ryde residents including renters and apartment dwellers.
See www.ryde.nsw.gov.au/HWSAS for more information.
Ryde Aquatic Leisure Centre Feasibility Study
Council conducted a feasibility study at the Ryde Aquatic Leisure Centre (RALC) to assess transitioning the site from gas to electrification. This transition aims to improve energy efficiency and reduce long-term costs.
Assessment Tool
Community Education and Workshops
53 people attended workshops on the topics of sustainable pools and understanding your energy bill.
Solar in our Community
586 new residential installations and 60 new commercial installations were completed in the 2024/25 financial year. 26.3 percent of free standing and semi-attached houses in Ryde are now powered by solar energy, a 10.5 percent increase from 2023/24 financial year. Across the City 63,548kW PV systems have now been installed on 7,799 homes, 461 commercial systems and 9 (>100kW) registered power plants.
10.5 PERCENT INCREASE IN SOLAR
City of Ryde continues to partner with the Australian Photovoltaic Institute (APVI) to take the guesswork out of installing solar for our community. The free online dashboard tool assists residents to make informed decisions about the suitability of their home for solar installation, system sizing, reducing household energy use, living costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Visit www.ryde.nsw.gov.au/SunSPoT to try the tool and see if your home is suitable.
Resilience
Engaging our Community
Governance
Council continues to be an active Ambassador Council as part of the 33 Council-wide partnership with Resilient Sydney. The aim of this combined effort is to address metropolitan scale shocks and stresses. Staff attended the Resilient Sydney Summit in 2024, to provide feedback for the latest Resilient Sydney Strategy. The new Resilient Sydney Strategy 2025 – 2030 was launched on 29 April 2025.
Engaging our Businesses
We presented to the Combined Chamber of Commerce promoting the importance of building resilience in a changing climate and how useful resources, including the Small Business Commissioner guides, can assist with disaster preparation and recovery to support business continuity.
We also continue to communicate important information to support businesses through the Business eNewsletter.
We engaged with 166 members of our community on resilience and other issues at events and workshops including the Putney Beach Swim Site opening, World Environment Day festival of events, the Macquarie University Kick Start day and through workshops and presentations run with local community organisations.
Emergency Preparedness
Emergency Redi Week 2024
Australian Red Cross Emergency Redi Week was held between 16 – 22 September 2024. A variety of promotions were used including social media posts, newsletter items and across our Libraries to encourage our community to download the Australian Red Cross Get Prepared App. An update of Council’s 'Prepare for an emergency' webpage was also undertaken to support residents, strata and businesses to make an emergency plan. www.ryde.nsw.gov.au/EmergencyPlan
Australian Red Cross Pillowcase Workshop
During the Summer School Holidays, Ryde Library hosted three Australian Red Cross Pillowcase workshops to help children prepare, cope and respond to emergencies. 45 people attended the workshop
Cool Places, Cool Spaces – Urban Heat Resilience Program
Council conducted its second Urban Heat survey to understand how prepared our community are to cope with extreme heat. We received 440 responses from the community. 68 percent of respondents said that they experienced health issues on hot days or during heatwaves. Our community identified key areas where Council and community organisations can improve support including:
• Emergency Preparedness and Response
• Access to Comfortable and Cool Spaces
• Urban Planning and Infrastructure
• Green Spaces and Environmental Initiatives
• Support for Vulnerable Groups
Providing Storm Assistance to Affected Residents
We are committed to supporting residents during emergencies and providing essential services to ensure their safety and wellbeing. In response to the devastating storms that swept across Sydney in January 2025, the City of Ryde provided vital support to hundreds of residents who were impacted by power outages and other challenges.
Council extended operating hours across key locations to provide shower facilities, electricity to charge personal electronic devices and internet access. Residents had access to amenities blocks including showers at Ryde Aquatic Leisure Centre, Eastwood Park (Upper and Lower) and Ryde Park, as well as use of facilities at Council’s Libraries for extended hours.
Council’s efforts were supported by the tireless efforts of emergency service personnel, the Ryde SES and contractors who worked around the clock to remove fallen trees, clear debris, and protect the community’s road network, people and property.
Resilience, Climate Change, Extreme Weather
Events and Natural Hazards
The Bush Fire Risk Management Plan for the Hunters Hill / Lane Cove / Parramatta / Ryde Bush Fire Management Committee was endorsed in January 2025 following public exhibition in July 2023. This new plan incorporates new modelling and was developed with lessons learnt from the Black Saturday bush fires.
Sustainable Transport
Car Share
With traffic congestion, parking and air pollution remaining a priority, this finanical year we increased community car share provider options and added six new car share spaces to the existing 39 Council-operated carshare spaces.
Electric Vehicle Charging
For Council-owned electric vehicle chargers, the community used more than 425,000 kWh powered by renewable energy to charge their vehicles in three of our town centres with 4,780 electric vehicle sessions completed.
425,000 KWH USED BY THE COMMUNITY
EV Kerbside Charging Grants
In 2024/25 we successfully applied for grant funding through the NSW State Government’s EV Kerbside Charging Grants. The grant will allow us to work with charging infrastructure providers to roll out public charging points across our City, targeting areas of limited charging access such as multi-unit dwellings. Installation is scheduled to commence in 2025/26.
Shop Ryder
Approximately 50,000 passenger trips were taken across the City using Council’s Shop Ryder bus service. After careful review, Council passed the motion to discontinue the Shop Ryder bus service in the 2025/26 financial year, with 20 December 2025 being the final day of operation.
Reducing Transport Emissions
The Sydney Metro line has resulted in a significant reduction in cars entering the City. This, combined with Council-supported alternatives such as the installation of bike lanes and car share options, is helping reduce transport emissions.
Council Fleet
11 percent reduction was achieved in transport emissions from Council fleet fuel consumption in 2024/25 compared with 2018/19 base year.
Putney Beach Swim Site
One of the biggest highlights of 2025 was the grand opening of the Putney Beach Swim Site – a major step forward in reconnecting our community with the Parramatta River and implementation of the Ryde Resilience Plan 2030 target: By 2025, local communities will be able to enjoy swimming or other contact activities with confidence in at least one location within the City of Ryde along the Parramatta River.
This project has been years in the making, made possible through the NSW State Government’s ‘Places to Swim’ grant and the strong teamwork between Council, the local community, and the Parramatta River Catchment Group (PRCG). Over 300 people came to celebrate the launch, showing just how important this space is to Ryde.
The site now offers a place for families, swimmers and nature lovers to enjoy the river. With cleaner water and upgraded facilities, Putney Beach Swim Site is more than just a place to swim – it’s a symbol of what we can achieve when we work together to create healthy, accessible public spaces. It also plays a key role in the PRCG long-term goal to make the Parramatta River swimmable again, as outlined in the Parramatta River Masterplan. This is a proud moment for Ryde and a legacy for future generations.
Putney Seawall
Construction of the Putney Park Seawall progressed significantly during 2024/25, with Stage 1 completed. Stage 2, which includes upgrades outside the swim site area, commenced in February 2025. Remaining works are scheduled for completion in 2025/26.
Addressing Pollution in our Waterways
The Plan Ahead
In 2025/26 we will work together with Parramatta River Catchment Group (PRCG) to devise a new Inner Sydney Harbour Coastal Management Program. This will replace the existing Parramatta and Lane Cove Estuary Coastal Zone Management Plans by assessing coastal and foreshore risk and improving future management of these areas.
Parramatta River Catchment Group
The City of Ryde continued its partnership with the 11-council Parramatta River Catchment Group, leading collective efforts to improve stormwater inflows and mitigate diffused water pollution.
Get the Site Right
Of the 103 sites inspected in the City of Ryde, 45 sites were issued with warnings regarding their sediment and erosion controls and an additional 15 sites issued with Prevention Notices under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 for major non-compliances. The City of Ryde continues to proactively work with developers, builders and renovators to educate on the importance to ‘get the site right’.
Water
Addressing Pollution in our Waterways
See it, Report it, Stop it
This year’s campaign targeted the Lane Cove Catchment area. The campaign featured educational information on reporting pollution incidents under City of Ryde’s ‘See it, Report it, Stop it’ webpage www.ryde.nsw.gov.au/SeeReportStop. It was displayed on six media screens at bus stops and promoted in shopping centres.
Water Quality Monitoring Program
A total of 14 locations in five of our major catchments are sampled twice yearly by contractors. This year, we have seen a decrease in excess nutrients across all our sites. Heavy metals were all below the guideline limits across all Porters Creek sites for the autumn results, showing a significant improvement over the spring results where exceedances were recorded. Our water quality monitoring program 2022 – 2025 has come to an end and we began engaging a new contractor to continue to monitor our waterways. All the water quality monitoring reports can be found on the City of Ryde water quality monitoring webpage www.ryde.nsw.gov.au/WaterQualityMonitoring
Addressing Pollution in our Waterways
Streamwatch
A total of 33 sites in 13 catchments in the City of Ryde were sampled in the Streamwatch blitz on the 18 March 2025. This was the highest number of sites sampled on the same day. Areas with run off from industry and along major roads attributed to a higher nutrient water quality recordings compared to residential areas. We will monitor sites closely where we have seen nutrient exceedances.
Monthly Streamwatch testing at 11 sites is conducted by volunteers as part of our Bushcare program. Results are generally consistent, although some sites upstream were found to have had elevated nutrients, however these become undetectable downstream. All data collected is uploaded onto the Atlas of Living Australia Streamwatch database webpage biocollect.ala.org.au/streamwatch-sydney/home/ index
Stormwater Assets
We conducted ongoing maintenance of our stormwater assets, regular street sweeping activities and serviced 557 gross pollutant traps. Our stormwater pit audits led to repairs and the construction of 52 stormwater pits.
Monitoring Water Usage
136,188KL water was consumed in Council operations, an increase by 16 percent compared with 2018/19 owing to improved internal data analysis.
Community Programs
SWAP 2024
City of Ryde’s annual Sustainable Waste to Art Prize (SWAP) is an environmental art competition aimed at raising community awareness of waste, resource recovery, sustainability and other environmental issues. Workshops were held to encourage participants to enter the SWAP competition. These workshops inspired creativity and imagination whilst using reclaimed and recycled materials. The exhibition showcased 78 artworks at See Street Gallery, Meadowbank and online as a digital exhibition.
Council delivered another successful program promoting the uptake of reusable nappies and reusable personal care products.
Through the program, City of Ryde residents were able to attend tailored education workshops and trial free reusable products.
Over 90 percent of survey respondents found the workshops and the trial products useful and 74 percent indicated they would continue to use reusable products.
7 reusable health product workshops
76 workshops attendees
Ryde Environmental Education Network (REEN)
The REEN network aims to provide schools and their teachers with learning opportunities, tools, resources, ideas and support to embed sustainability across the school curriculum. Network meetings are held once per term as a way for educators to collaborate and share ways they are embedding sustainability and environmental education and initiatives in their schools. This network is available to all educators in the City of Ryde.
As part of the REEN program, four schools and two preschools participated in the environmental education incursions we offered. Topics included keeping waterways clean, saving water, waterway health and habitat conservation. 597 students were able to benefit from attending these workshops which were run in collaboration with Keep Australia Beautiful and Australian Environmental Education.
Clean Up Australia Day
44 local groups from businesses, schools and the community participated in Clean Up Australia Day events in 2025, which marked the 35th anniversary. During February and March, City of Ryde provided support with additional equipment. Approximately 820 kilograms of litter was collected by volunteers across various locations, including Kissing Point Park, Buffalo Creek, and Macquarie Park.
10 BUSINESS GROUPS
16 SCHOOLS
18 COMMUNITY GROUPS
820kg OF RUBBISH
Community Programs
Schools Waste Education Program
City of Ryde runs schools waste education workshops in collaboration with Keep Australia Beautiful and Urban Grow. In 2024/25 we had 643 students from kindergarten to year six engaged in waste education workshops with topics including composting/worm farming, low waste/package-free lunches, sustainable gardening and school waste audits. City of Ryde was a finalist in the Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Sustainable Cities Awards for its edible gardens project.
643 STUDENTS
4 PRIMARY SCHOOLS
Get Grubby – Online Sustainability Curriculum
Get Grubby is available to everyone in the City of Ryde wanting to learn about waste, recycling and sustainability. As part of our commitment to sustainability education, City of Ryde has covered all the costs for our community to participate.
The program includes sustainability units and resources such as videos, songs, games and activity ideas. Topics include recycling, composting, worm farming, saving water, growing food and getting grubby. The units are matched to the National Quality Standards and the Belong, Being and Becoming Early Years Learning Framework.
Waste and Recycling Storytimes
City of Ryde offers engaging waste and recycling Storytime sessions designed for young children and their caregivers. These fun and interactive events feature storytelling, songs and rhymes that help develop environmental awareness and early literacy skills in a welcoming environment. Held regularly across Ryde’s various library branches, Storytime is a great opportunity for families to learn about waste and recycling and foster a love of reading. Sessions are free and no bookings are required, making them easily accessible to our local community.
7 WASTE AND RECYCLING STORYTIME SESSIONS HELD
286 PARTICIPANTS
Train the Trainers: Waste Warriors Next Gen
City of Ryde’s Train the Trainers: Waste Warriors Next Gen program supports preschools and early learning centres within the City of Ryde by empowering nominated champion staff to lead and promote sustainable waste practices. Participants receive hands-on training, a choice of either a compost bin or a worm farm for their centre, educational signage and access to online sustainability resources via the Get Grubby program.
4 SESSIONS 124 PARTICIPANTS
Environmental Education
World Environment Day Celebrations
City of Ryde hosted a diverse program of environmental activities and events throughout June to celebrate World Environment Day.
The program was delivered collaboratively by the Circular Economy, Resilience, Natural Areas, and Libraries teams, offering educational initiatives that covered a wide range of environmental issues and topics.
257 attendees joined the workshops and events covering the following topics:
• Restyling Demo and Clothes Swap
• Fermenting
• Waste and Recycling
• Sustainable House Tour
• Electrification and Energy Efficiency
• Getting Off Gas: Induction Cooking
• Urban Heat and Trees Presentation
Smarter, Cleaner, Greener, Newsletter
The Smarter, Cleaner, Greener e-newsletter is your one-stop-shop to learn about Councils’ sustainability, resilience, waste and environmental news. It contains useful information including green living tips, weeds management, workshops and council run events. To sign up visit www.ryde.nsw.gov.au/SCGNews
3,575 subscribers
Community Workshops
The Circular Economy team provided 25 interactive face-to-face workshops with 715 attendees to educate and inspire our community to reduce their waste and live more sustainably. Topics included composting, worm farming, food and plastic waste avoidance, and waste to art.
Clothes Swap Events
City of Ryde delivered Clothes Swap events during National Recycling Week (November 2024) and World Environment Day (June 2025) to promote reuse and sustainable living. 170 participants donated more than 301 kilograms of clothing, which were exchanged through the swaps and were successfully diverted from landfill.
One of the events featured a restyling demonstration, showing the community how to creatively use items from their existing wardrobes to create different looks.
170 participants donated
clothing which were exchanged through swaps
Residential Site Meetings with the Community
City of Ryde Circular Economy staff continue to complete site meetings with building managers and residential committee members. These meetings serve as a fantastic opportunity to engage with the community about the waste management issues and promote resource recovery. In the past 2024/25 financial year 76 on-site meetings were held in the community.
Environmental Education
Educational Resources for Residents
The City of Ryde continues to provide a wide range of educational resources to our diverse and growing community. This financial year 110 requests were made for educational resources from residents and building managers.
Council distributed 312 signs to help residents manage their waste and deter illegal dumping. The signage was predominantly hand delivered by Council officers, enabling further educational opportunities with on-site staff and residents.
675 bin stickers including messages such as ‘no plastic bags in recycling bins’ and ‘no advertising material’ were provided to the community. 1,100 welcome folders for new residents have been distributed to building managers. Packs are also available at Councils customer service centre. These folders also contain trilingual information on the range of waste services offered by Council.
City of Ryde Libraries
Eastwood Seed Library
The Eastwood Seed Library supports seed diversity and open pollinated varieties suited to the local environment. It aligns with City of Ryde’s commitment to the circular economy, supporting sustainability, and promoting health and wellness.
840
CUSTOMERS HAVE BORROWED SEEDS
Workshops in Collaboration with the Circular Economy and Resilience Teams
As previously reported, workshop topics focused on plastic free living, living with less, composting, home waste drop-in sessions, sustainable waste to art, reusable nappies, recycling, Brush Turkeys and a clothes swap.
City of Ryde Library Workshops
In support of sustainable education initiatives, the City Ryde library team ran 45 workshops focused on sustainability, reaching over 1,640 attendees.
Workshops for Kids, Parents and Youth
Topics included backyard science, pot a plant, renewable energy, kids healthy food and emergency preparedness (pillowcase workshops).
Workshops for Adults
Topics included beeswax wraps, home sustainability, seed saving and tiny terrariums.
Chinese Gardening Club
This club is held weekly and is an opportunity for members to share gardening experiences and swap cuttings.
The Sustainability Families Festival – Ryde Library
This family-friendly event held in the January school holidays attracted 815 attendees. It was a fun and educational day out for family with engaging entertainment, facepainting and hands-on activities for kids. Outside of the festival, an additional 17 workshops attracting 107 attendees were held. Workshop topics included garbage to garden, compost and worm farms, beeswax wraps, reusable personal care and nappies.
Waste and Recycling
Household Problem Waste Collection Service
City of Ryde has provided household problem waste collections since December 2023.
The program collects problem items, that cannot be recycled through the kerbside yellow-lidded bins, directly from residents’ doorsteps.
In the last financial year alone, 16,164 kilograms and 12,061 bags of items were collected for reuse and recycling.
16,164kg 12,061 BAGS
Problem Waste Stations
Council provides eight problem waste stations to help residents to easily dispose of problem waste for free. 2,255 kilograms of household problem waste were collected through the drop-off stations and taken to the Northern Sydney Community Recycling Centre (CRC) in Artarmon to be recycled.
Household Chemical CleanOut
Recycling Hubs
The recycling hub trial in apartment buildings has now expanded to five properties. This service offers convenient and safe disposal of difficult to recycle materials such as batteries, lightbulbs and mobile phones. The participating apartment complexes are some of the largest in the City of Ryde. Collectively the five recycling hubs services over 1,600 apartments. Material is collected by Council and transported to the Northern Sydney Community Recycling Centre (CRC) in Artarmon for processing. Collection statistics from project inception in September 2024 are as follows.
City of Ryde held a Household Chemical CleanOut drop-off day in December 2024 at Meadowbank Park carpark. Residents safely disposed of hazardous waste including chemicals, paint, oil and batteries, which cannot be recycled through kerbside bins or clean-up collection services.
360 Litre Recycling Bins
Larger 360 litre recycling bins have been trialled at 11 mid-rise apartment buildings. These bins have improved operational outcomes for collection staff while also benefiting the amenity of the bin bay. Existing issues such as double stacked bins or overflowing cardboard has been addressed by the larger recycling bins. In a residential survey conducted with participating apartments, 90 percent of respondents provided positive feedback.
712 ATTENDEES
21,000kg HAZARDOUS HOUSEHOLD ITEMS AFTER BEFORE
Waste and Recycling
Chipping and Mulching Service
740 BOOKINGS
Clothing Bins
131 TONNES of unwanted clothing diverted from landfill via the clothing bins collection
Composting and Worm Farming
51 items sold compost bins worm farms
34 17
7,466 TONNES OF RECYCLING FROM Household Recycling
57,533 HOUSEHOLDS
Household Garden Organics
9,824 TONNES OF GARDEN ORGANICS
57,533 HOUSEHOLDS
GARAGE SALE Secondhand Garage Sales
The City of Ryde continues to promote secondhand garage sales as a great way to reuse preloved products and make some extra money. In 2024 there were 82 garage sales were advertised on the Council website and in The Weekly Times newspaper.
82 GARAGE SALES
Community Recycling Centre
4,920 Ryde residents visited CRC Artarmon
78.6 estimated tonnes (combined materials) by Ryde residents
Medical Waste Service
1.6 tonnes medical waste collected
14 participating pharmacies
TV and Computer Collection Service
City of Ryde residents can take advantage of the on-call electronic waste collection. This convenient service will collect accepted electronic waste from the household nature strip and transport it to the Northern Sydney Community Recycling Centre (CRC) in Artarmon.
Over the last calendar year there have been 902 collections including 2,425 items and 42,640 kilograms of recycled electronic waste out of landfill.
The Bower Collection and Rehoming Service 27 collections
1,401kg diverted from landfill
Natural Areas
National Tree Day 2024 –Blenheim Park
National Tree Day at Blenheim Park was a great success contributing to the delivery of the biodiversity corridor component of the Blenheim Park Masterplan. A grand total of 1,400 plants were planted by 168 volunteers. The 1st East Ryde Scouts served up delicious sausage sandwiches. This was followed up by 57 volunteers from St Ignatius College, who planted 800 plants for Schools Tree Day.
Ryde Mayor’s Tree Planting Day – Looking Glass Bay Park
The local community came together for the inaugural Ryde Mayor’s Tree Planting Day at Looking Glass Bay Park. 76 enthusiastic volunteers transformed a previously mown area by planting 900 native plants. Over time, this will allow the expansion of the bushland, which contributes to the biodiversity corridor along Parramatta River.
Community Partnership Activities
Four Bushcare community partnership activities were held to improve the local biodiversity. Fuji Film continued their planting and weed removal efforts at ELS Hall Park. Ryde Rotary contributed to two Bushcare sessions at ELS Hall Park with mulching and planting along Shrimptons Creek. Tzu Chi has partnered with City of Ryde for many years and this year they have mulched and planted a section at Looking Glass Bay Park, which is a continuation from the Ryde Mayor’s Tree Planting Day event.
Bush Regeneration Program
Bush regeneration contractors contribute to the management of our bushland areas, which includes 50 bushland sites. Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum), a prohibited aquatic matter, was first found in the Santa Rosa Park bioretention pond in February 2025. This priority weed was never previously found in a park. The area was controlled by authorised Council staff and is now being monitored by contractors with the aim for eradication. The Friends of Lane Cove National Park was successful with the Urban Rivers Grant and has appointed City of Ryde as a project partner. It will fund the works at Portius Park and Magdala Park for primary woody and vine weeds removal.
Bushcare Hours
Volunteers have dedicated their free time every week to help restore natural areas. This financial year they have contributed to a total of 3,843 Bushcare hours, regenerating our parks and bushland areas by removing weeds and planting native species. We have seen an increase in Bushcare hours with more people wanting to improve their local bushland areas.
Natural Areas
The Habitat Community Nursery and Garden
This financial year, The Habitat focused on engaging with young volunteers completing their community services awards, supporting opportunities for them to develop an appreciation for environmental care. In addition, The Habitat benefits from having a great group of regular volunteers who are making a valuable contribution to its programs and activities.
1,440
78
3,484
VISITORS PLANTS PRODUCED
10,987
VOLUNTEERS PLANTS DISTRIBUTED
5,007
4 VOLUNTEER HOURS WORKSHOPS
ATTENDEES 54
Spring Garden Competition – Best Bushcare Site Winners
Our Bushcare volunteers have dedicated their time to help manage our bushland areas by removing weeds and promoting native regeneration. Every Bushcare site follows best bush regeneration practices and works towards their goals. Greenwood Park Bushcare and Pellisier Road Bushcare respectively won second and third place in the Spring Garden Competition 2024. Prizes given to the groups were used to improve on the Bushcare site.
Feral Animal Control
A total of 16 feral animal control sessions were held at Field of Mars Reserve, Kittys Creek, Brush Farm Park, Denistone Park, Marsfield Park, Pembroke Park and Settlers Park. This helped to protect native wildlife, with 14 foxes and 18 rabbits controlled.
Parks
Spring Garden Competition 2024
City of Ryde’s Spring Garden Competition expanded in 2024 with 82 entries across multiple categories. The winners were announced during a gala ceremony at Eden Gardens, Macquarie Park. From courtyard balconies to large backyard sanctuaries, lush commercial oases and school gardens representing the many people and cultures that so beautifully reflect the City of Ryde. As part of the Spring Garden Competition, junior gardeners participated in the children’s seed growing competition, growing over 800 sunflowers across gardens in schools, and on balconies throughout the City of Ryde.
Neon Garden
City of Ryde also recently introduced Neon Garden as part of its Spring Garden Competition activities with over 600 participants visiting Lachlan’s Line Park across two days in October to view the garden sculpture displays and participate in a neon, silent disco dance party in the park.
Active in Ryde
Active in Ryde’s Active Seniors Program supports our community through low-cost classes and activities aimed at getting seniors up and moving. Active in Ryde is gaining popularity across all age groups, with seniors programs continuing to grow. 2024 saw the introduction of new weekly classes featuring drum fit and rock climbing. The Active Seniors program now has over 400 weekly participants
Active Kids and Active Youth held over 250 events during the 2024 NSW school holidays. The programs combined aim to have over 10,000 children and young people participating in active programs within our parks and open spaces in 2025.
Active in Ryde introduced ‘Park after Dark’ in 2024, enabling residents to join in some after dark activities in our parks and open spaces.
During World Space Week 80 adults joined us at Brush Farm House to view space through a series of telescopes provided by the Macquarie University Association for Astronomy. 100 children and their carers also joining us for a planetarium visit and sky story.
200 children participated in the 2024 City of Ryde rocket launch in Ryde Park, building and launching their very own rockets.
During Bird Week, a series of after dark bird tours happened across many of our parks and open spaces with a guest Ornithologist encouraging residents to learn all about bird life within the City of Ryde.
ACTIVE IN RYDE IS GAINING POPULARITY ACROSS ALL AGE GROUPS
Direction
Projects – The City of Ryde Development Control Plan – Tree Preservation
The City of Ryde Development Control Plan (DCP) – Tree Preservation was reported to the July Council Meeting and adopted. The amendments to DCP Part 9.5 place a focus on proactive retention and preservation of existing trees as well as the planting of new trees. This approach is due to Council’s aim to foster a view that trees provide amenity to the broader community and improve liveability with significant retention value. The amendments also address the requirements of the Biodiversity and Conservation SEPP 2021 and adopt a landscape approach to vegetation and tree management as recommended in the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment’s Guidelines; Managing vegetation with a DCP.
Park Masterlans
The Putney Park Masterplan has been progressing to guide park improvements for the next 10 – 15 years with items such as background reporting, masterplan opportunity documenting and was adopted by Council at the December 2025 meeting. The Putney Park Plan of Management has also been reviewed for update and exhibition. The Masterplan responds to increased visitors and ageing infrastructure. It focuses on enhancing accessibility, increasing recreation opportunities, enhancing environmental resilience, protecting natural and cultural features, and creating a more resilient, connected open space.
The Meadowbank Park Plan of Management adopted by Council at the August 2025 meeting. The purpose of the Plan of Management is to identify objectives, targets and purpose strategies to protect and guide future maintenance and management of Meadowbank Park.
Family-Friendly Events
The Parks and Open Spaces team also ran many family-friendly events to encourage all members of the public to use our many parks and open spaces. In 2024 we saw the introduction of Twilight Riverwalks, silent disco walks along the Parramatta River in Meadowbank on the first Friday of every month during daylight savings. Over 200 people participated in one of our riverwalks, with many looking forward to the walks returning in 2025. Park Run, a joint project between City of Ryde and Macquarie University, was launched in 2024.
