Revealed: The $129m plan to bulldoze a Sydney sporting field for homes

After years of political wrangling, community protests and a failed campaign to preserve one of Sydney’s long-held suburban sporting grounds, residents have been given their clearest picture yet of a proposed transformation of TG Millner Reserve in Marsfield.

A $128.9 million plan lodged with Ryde Council this week shows the former spiritual home of Eastwood Rugby Club is one step closer to being bulldozed to make way for a 106-home housing estate.

The proposal marks a major milestone in a bitter battle that has pitted Ryde Council against the NSW government, divided residents and highlighted growing tensions between housing growth and the increasing pressure on sporting fields across Sydney.

The plans by TGM Developer Pty Ltd, a consortium involving property developer Winston Langley and the Abadeen Group, represent a significant departure from an earlier proposal for 132 seniors housing dwellings on the site. Instead, the revised plan would deliver 106 private homes ranging from three to five bedrooms.

The six-hectare development would involve the demolition of the district-grade rugby field, grandstand, North Ryde RSL Sports Club and Guardian Childcare Marsfield, a 78-place centre operating within the site. It is understood families were informed in January that the centre would cease operating in December 2026 and families would be supported to transition to alternative nearby services.

Development plans lodged with the council describe the project as a “garden neighbourhood” designed to balance housing supply with open space.