The Weekly Times - TWT - 26th June 2019

20 THE WEEKLY TIMES Wednesday 26 June, 2019
Young ballerina Holly whispers a secret to Mayor Jerome Laxale who is pictured at the Ryde Civic Centre site on Friday with mums Jessica Matthews, Jacqui
Owens, Ava, Maddie and baby Xavier. Mayor Jerome says the New Heart of Ryde will be an inspirational venue for Ryde’s young and future stars. TWT onthe-spot
PHOTO
Families thrilled with a New Heart of Ryde!
A RYDE mum has been the first local to have a say on plans for a new Ryde Civic Centre.
Free Ryde SWAP workshops
BACK for its ninth year, the City of Ryde’s annual Sustainable
Waste to Art Prize (SWAP) is a chance to express your creativity
through repurposing rubbish and recovered materials.
At a time when reducing
waste is more
important than ever,
SWAP presents a fun
opportunity to learn
new skills and explore
the artistic potential of
items you would usually
throw away.
Get inspired at one of
their free workshops.
Make an artwork, and
submit it for consideration
in the SWAP
exhibition happening
at See Street Gallery,
Meadowbank TAFE.
There’s $4,500 in prize
money up for grabs
across five categories
- Open (18+yrs), Youth
(14-17 yrs), Junior (10-
13 yrs), Functional and
People’s Choice.
Workshops include:
MIXED MEDIA MAG-
IC
Saturday July 13 from
10 am to 4 pm in West
Ryde Community Hall,
1A Station Street, West
Ryde.
This workshop is for
people aged 18 years
and older
Join in a workshop
where industrial excess
and domestic recycling
moves from producing
rivers of rubbish to
oodles of creative possibilities!
Using eclectic loose
parts and a rich variety
of open ended recycled
materials, this
mixed media workshop
is based around joyful
experimentation.
JUNK BUGS
Wednesday July 17
from 10 am to 4 pm in
West Ryde Community
Hall, 1a Station Street,
West Ryde.
This workshop is
open to those aged
from 10 - 13 years.
Learn how to construct
a futuristic bug
from found materials
including plastic, wire
and common household
objects.
Using small hand
tools, students will
create a freestanding
sculpture that is worthy
of a sci-fi blockbuster.
FOUND OBJECT FIG-
URES
Saturday July 20 from
10 am to 4 pm in West
Ryde Community Hall,
1a Station Street, West
Ryde.
This workshop is for
people aged 18 years
and older.
In this workshop you
will be guided to create
a figure from found
and discarded natural
and human-made objects
using a variety of
sculptural techniques
including wire work,
gluing, assemblage
and the use of hand
and power tools.
Community consultation
on the proposed
development
known as The New
Heart of Ryde started
this week and
Ryde District Mums
group co-founder
Jessica Matthews
supports the development.
“It has the potential
to benefit everyone
in the community,”
she said.
“As a mother I
know how hard it
can be to find the
appropriate space
in Ryde to stage
get-togethers for
mothers groups.
“So to have new facilities
where mothers
groups can meet
on a regular basis is
terrific for the City of
Ryde.
“It will be great
that certain community
groups will also
be able to access
amazing facilities at
subsidised rates as
affordability is important
to families in
Ryde.”
Jessica joined other
mums and children
at the site on
Friday where they
got to meet Mayor
Jerome Laxale.
“Our New Heart of
Ryde would have
dedicated space for
performances, concerts,
art and functions,”
he said.
“ It will also feature
meeting rooms and
spaces for members
of the community
to utilise such as
mothers groups and
cultural groups.
“The New Heart of
Ryde is one of the
most exciting projects
undertaken by
the City of Ryde in
decades.
“It will be built for
the community and
owned by the community,
without any
residential development.
“It will also activate
the Ryde Civic Centre
site and resolve
the chronic shortage
of community space
that the City of Ryde
currently faces.”
Formal consultation
on the new vision
for the Ryde
Civic Centre site
commences this
week, with the entire
City of Ryde community
encouraged
to have their say on
the new proposal.
Once built it will
offer a four-fold increase
in community
facilities without
the introduction of
any residential development
on the
site.
“The proposal is
financially sustainable
and will not
result in increased
rates or cuts to any
services,” the Mayor
said.
“Council will also
retain complete
ownership of the
site.”
Mayor Laxale said
it is important that
all members of the
community take part
in the formal consultation
which begins
this week.
“All feedback submitted
during the
formal consultation
period will help
shape the final design
and report that
will be submitted to
Council later in the
year.”
Ratepayers and
other residents can
have a say until
Sunday 25 August.
Submissions can
be made through
an online survey at
www.ryde.nsw.gov.
au/heart or by email
at cityofryde@ryde.
nsw.gov.au
Submissions can
also be made By
post to General
Manager, City of
Ryde, Locked Bag
2069, North Ryde
NSW 1670.
As well as receiving
submissions,
the City of Ryde will
also undertake a
wide range of communication
activities
during the formal
consultation period
including a community
roadshow
and displays at local
shopping centres.