16th May 2026. Edition One. In this edition:
President's Report,
What the Civic Trust did in April / May 2026,
ANZAC Day 2026,
Devlins Creek to Lyne Rd Walking Track Upgrades, Ryde Police Area Command Community Safety Precinct Meeting,
Hornsby Shire Council's Plan for Lyne Road Reserve,
Community Morning Tea for Mothers,
Local Justice of the Peace, Civic Trust Facebook page,
Monica Tudehope Newsletter, Hornsby Shire Council's News Bulletin,
Parramatta Council's News Bulletin, Recent Development Applications.
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER Friday May 29 10AM Morning Tea for Mothers Cheltenham Rec Club
Sunday August 23Civic Trust Spring Walk
Message from the President Dear fellow residents,
The ANZAC Day service held in the railway gardens was again, a
resounding success with our various community organisations coming
together for this solemn occasion. We are so fortunate in 2119 to have
such a united community and a very active Rotary Club to coordinate the
event so professionally. It was good to see our three levels
of government represented at the ceremony.
In the eNews you will notice that the Trust has applied for two
community grants. These grants are offered by State and Federal
governments to community groups often in liaison with local councils to
identify the projects that require funding. The projects can be varied;
for the Trust we have requested an additional picnic table in the
Beecroft Village Green and completion of the walking track.from Lyne Rd
to Castle Howard Rd
I want to mention the good work the Byles Creek Valley Union is doing in
an attempt to save the bushland in the Byles Ck valley below Malton
Rd, A development application (DA365/2026) is currently on
exhibition for 65D Malton Rd.
Similar to the vacant land at 79-87 Malton Rd, 65D is a large
undeveloped parcel of undisturbed bushland. Both properties are a
subdivision legacy, legally created for residential development 50 years
ago when there were minimal planning controls. With the benefit of
hindsight these two lots should never have been created in the first
place as they are highly constrained and as such, with the current
legislative requirements, the owners have found it very difficult to
design and build a dwelling that complies with the current
controls. Hence there is persistent community pressure on Council
and the State Government to correct poor planning decisions of the past
and acquire these large bushland lots for bushland reserves.
What the Civic Trust did in April / May 2026 An
exhibition curated by the National Trust, about the work of Marie
Byles, has been installed by the Civic Trust in conjunction with Ahimsa
for display in the top window at Beecroft Place.
Please pause on your way into Beecroft Place and read about this
remarkable woman and long-term resident of Cheltenham. Marie Byles
was:
the first practising female solicitor in NSW;
an avid mountaineer,
a founding member of the Buddhist Society of NSW; and
a passionate conservationist.
In
response to an invitation from Monica Tudehope MP, the Trust has
submitted two Expressions of Interest for grants of $10-100,000 under
the Community Building Partnership Program for Councils and Not for
Profit Organisations. The first EOI was an application for an
additional undercover picnic table setting for the Village Green.
The second EOI was for the completion of the last two thirds of a
walking track through bushland from Beecroft Rd to Castle Howard Rd,
Cheltenham, passing Lyne Rd reserve,
The Trust has been advised by Julian Leeser MP that its Expression of
Interest for funding under the 2025/2026 Volunteers Grants
($1,000-$5,000) has been nominated to progress to the next stage of the
assessment process, namely, submission of a full application for a
grant.
The Trust President, Ross Walker OAM, has written to the General Manager
of Hornsby Shire Council requesting that 79-87 Malton Rd be
incorporated into the Byles Creek open space through a process of
council acquisition of the land currently being proposed for
development. The Trust supports the retention of this
bushland in keeping with its aim to preserve ‘the natural beauty of the
Beecroft and Cheltenham districts observed in the natural environment of
flora and fauna in bushlands, waterways and reserves’. CLICK HERE to read the correspondence.
ANZAC DAY
ANZAC Day was again a well attended community event.
Civic Trust President Ross Walker laying a wreath on behalf of the Trust.
Civic Trust Spring Walk The
Trust's Spring walk will be held on Sunday 23rd August. The walk
will be led by former President of the Civic Trust, Rod Best and will
once again focus on the history of Beecroft and Cheltenham.
Devlins Creek to Lyne Rd Walking Track Upgrades Overview:
The proposed track upgrades focus on enhancing accessibility and connectivity in the area.
By improving existing pathways and establishing new connections, this
initiative aims to create a more integrated network of tracks and
creates a link between Beecroft Bushwalk the Great North walk. Proposal:
The proposed track upgrade consists of four key elements:
Improving the existing track at Castle Howard Rd by adding a boardwalk for better accessibility through wet areas,
New track connection to Lyne Rd Reserve,
New track connection to Beecroft Rd around the vehicle safety barrier.
New
wayfinding signage will be installed to complement the track
upgrade, assist navigation, and create connectivity with
other bushwalks such as Lane Cove valley Walk (LCVW), GNW and
Beecroft Bushwalk.
Ryde Police Area Command Community Safety Precinct Meeting
By Neil Maniar
The Ryde Police Area Command held a meeting on 11th May at the Epping Hotel.
BCCT representatives Bill Rankine and Neil Maniar attended the event.
Ryde police provided an update on the crime statistics in the area as
well as crime prevention tips. Statistics suggested that incidents in
2025 have increased compared to 2024. The crime statistics were for the
areas across Ryde PAC, which highlighted that the busiest suburb for
Ryde PAC under their command is Ryde.
Beecroft and Cheltenham are not in the busiest top ten areas within the
Ryde PAC. Community members interested to find detailed statistics can
access - https://crimetool.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/bocsar.
Statistics also highlighted that the majority of the phone calls made to
emergency number '000' were for lower priority matters which
could have been resolved by calling the Police Assistance Line or Crime
Stoppers. It'd be in the community's interest to report matters via
below numbers as appropriate -
Ryde
PAC provided information on the factors which are very useful for
police while reviewing CCTV footage. This information can also be found
on their Facebook page. CLICK HERE for the page.
Ryde PAC has been working hard to reduce the incidents for the victims of domestic violence.
NSW Police has designed an App which they recommend be used by DV victims. CLICK HERE for the app.
Useful data and phone numbers supplied by NSW Police have been published on the Trust's Web site. CLICK HERE for the information.
Hornsby Shire Council's Plan for Lyne Road Reserve
A new concept plan to provide and to renew the fencing at Lyne Road Reserve to create a safer space for people and dogs. CLICK HERE
Community Morning Tea for Mothers Friday 29 May 2026, 10:00am – 12:00pm
Monica Tudehope MP is hosting a morning tea for Mums with special guest
Arabella Gibson, CEO of the Gidget Foundation at the Cheltenham
Recreation Club. Morning tea will be provided. CLICK HERE for more information.
Civic Trust Membership Subscriptions If
you have lived in Beecroft Cheltenham for any length of time, you would
have seen many changes. While change is inevitable, the Trust will
continue to be the voice of our local community.
It is only because we have the strength of numbers that we are able to influence change. Annual membership for 2026 is only $20.
To join the Trust. CLICK HERE.
Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust eNews The
Trust publishes this monthly eNews newsletter. If you would like
to receive this newsletter on a regular basis, please CLICK HERE to subscribe to the eNews.
Local Justice of the Peace Timothy
Abrams, a Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust committee member, has
generously offered his services as a Justice of the Peace for any
residents requiring this service.
Tim can be contacted on Mob 0417 662 405
Dr. Penelope Crossley has also generously offered her services.
Penelope is a practising solicitor and is happy to witness documents pro
bono for 2119 residents. Penelope can be contacted on 0449 232 474.
Civic Trust Facebook page
Every now and then the Trust’s Facebook Page includes interviews with interesting people who live in the area of postcode 2119.
The Facebook page also highlights weekly happenings and items of
interest for residents in the Hornsby Shire and Parramatta area.
Monica Tudehope MP. April Newsletter. The Trust's policy is that we will publish submitted newsletters from any of our elected representatives. CLICK HERE
Hornsby Shire Council's May News Bulletin Can be viewed CLICK HERE
City of Parramatta's May News Bulletin Can be viewed CLICK HERE
Recent Development Applications The
Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust's web site now has links to recently
submitted Development Applications in the 2119 postcode area for both
Hornsby and Parramatta Shire Councils. This page will be updated
with every eNews publication. CLICK HERE To access them.
Objections to Development Applications and other correspondence with council can be viewed CLICK HERE
Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust eNews.
The
eNews has become our main method for disseminating information to the
community. We already send the eNews to many of our residents. We
encourage residents who receive the eNews to tell their neighbours and
friends and suggest they too subscribe. The eNews letter is
available to all who subscribe. Trust Membership is not a
requirement.
The eNews archives are available CLICK HERE. To subscribe to the eNews: CLICK HERE.
There is an active Civic Trust Facebook group; to view the Facebook CLICK HERE.
The Trust will assist any resident regardless of their membership status.
