This was a joint meeting organised by Ryde Council for all Rotary clubs in our area. Twenty four people attended including our Bernie and Peter Mason.
Tanya from the council was the MC.
The council raised several needs for discussion and are looking for solutions or help to address the needs identified.
There are 129,123 people, with a mean age of 37. 49% of whom were born overseas. 44.6% live in apartments with many being isolated. 41.5% rent their accommodation.
The City of Ryde website has statistics pre covid and the impacts of the above demographics, including wage levels.
One of the challenges is the use of open spaces. Even though council does implement the building in of greenspace and community space in high rise buildings, these are not being utilised by the occupants. The question was posed - could we think of a way to engage them?
The State Government is pushing council for more high rise living, creating problems for council in how it can address the social problems which arise.
Another challenge identified was the mix of faiths living in the same buildings. Council feels this is good, but the residents are not mixing or socialising because they don’t speak the same language. Council will release a social impact statement. There is an online help line for NDIS and ESL, but people do not understand how to access this.
Solutions suggested
- Lady and men’s sheds or workshops
- ESL social language discussion groups
- Getting ladies together with young children
- Local get together in a park
- Little projects for each club, or one big one between many groups
- LAC Police officer to address the criminal aspect of boredom amongst youth with nothing to do
- PCYC groups to be established
- Social sport groups. Youth Vs Police
- Council is redoing LEPs, local environmental plans
- Maybe establish a community garden - there is one at Macquarie Park already
- Green space use
- Council would like to build a Youth emergency Health Centre
- Maybe a Rotary/Rotaract banner to be put in prominent green zones in these apartment areas to encourage residents to join community groups
Council will collate all ideas, .
There were other problems identified. Too many procedures and protocols which are confusing. Perhaps Rotary could fast track these in collaboration with council. John Dodd suggested a collaboration committee be set up to consider how to cut all the red tape to get the emergency health centre for youth established, by Rotary clubs of our area. It was also suggested that a Corporate Social Impact fund involving all corporates in our area could be established. This was felt to be difficult but not impossible.
Lots to think about. It will be interesting to see what action can follow.