Manly Town Hall could again be the heart of the community under a plan to open the top floor for community events. The spacious area (pictured below) served for many years as Manly's Council Chambers. 

Northern Beaches Councillor Candy Bingham, who has been driving the proposal, said the stately building was the perfect place to bring new life to Manly Village. 

"Manly needs more variety in what people can do after dark," Cr Bingham said.  "You can go to the pub, or go out to eat - we don't even have a cinema anymore."

She said the upstairs hall could be used in the short term for talks, film screening or concerts, and in the longer term it could be transformed into an art gallery, museum, cinema or performance space. 

"There are some really exciting ideas out there," Cr Bingham said. 

While the present building was opened in November 1937, the Manly Council Chambers have stood on that site since 1909 as a gateway to Manly. It has been the home of Manly Council until amalgamation and the formation of Northern Beaches Council in 2016. 

With the new council based in Dee Why, in the former Warringah Council chambers, the upstairs section of Manly Town Hall is underused.  The downstairs houses a Council Service Centre, which the Council promises will always remain in Manly, plus council department offices.

Many people are familiar with the exterior of the heritage-listed building, with its Corinthian columns and imposing façade, but may be less aware of the elegant art deco interior of the upper floor.  The wide staircase to the first floor features a stained-glass skylight and leads up to a gallery lined with portraits of councillors past who have served Manly. The high-ceilinged Council Chamber still retains many of its original features including dark wood doors, wainscoting and ceiling light fittings.  

The proposal to make use of the venue in the short-term was passed at the August Council meeting.  The plan, which will include hiring charges and what types of uses are appropriate, will soon be put out on public consultation.  

"This fantastic venue has the potential to transform Manly into a much more cultural and exciting place to live," Cr Bingham said. ​

How do you see Manly Town Hall?

We are delighted to present ManlyTalks - a series of talks to be held right here in Manly. We'll have thought-leaders speaking on big ideas, with a focus on how they affect us and our community and what we can do to participate or push for change.  The talks will educate and inspire, they will spark ideas and start conversations. ​

The series, which starts this month, kicks off with Australia's best known environmentalist Prof Tim Flannery speaking on 'State of the Climate: What next for us?'
​
Prof Flannery, 2007 Australian of the Year and Climate Commissioner from 2011 to 2013, is the author of 32 books, including the internationally acclaimed The Weather Makers. His focus is the connection between climate change, global warming, and human activity, and specifically what we need to do to halt current warming trends and begin the long process of reversing the damage we have already done.

We were thrilled at the huge community response to our first talk, with tickets selling out within hours of being released. We will have more exciting speakers next year. 

Manly Talks is organized by Good For Manly to inform and inspire our community and start conversations.

Images:  Manly Oval historic gates; playing field.

​Special Minister of State Don Harwin, who announced the decision this morning, said the park was a very worthy candidate meeting all seven heritage listing criteria, including Aboriginal heritage. ​

He also praised the passion and persistence of the community in following the process through. "One of the factors was the community esteem," Mr Harwin said. "There is an incredible community feeling for Ivanhoe Park. There were fifty submissions in support, and none against.

"You baked the cake and I'm putting on the icing. The park is now on the State Heritage Register. Congratulations - you've done it!"

The announcement was made in front of an enthusiastic crowd, including Federal MP Zali Steggall, State MP James Griffin, Northern Beaches Mayor Michael Regan, and all three Manly Ward councillors - Candy Bingham, Sarah Grattan and Pat Daley. 

Images - MPs  Don Harwin & James Griffin address the crowd; (L to R) Crs Candy Bingham & Michael Regan, State MP James Griffin, Cr Sarah Grattan & Fed MP Zali Steggall.

Manly leaders were quick to stress that heritage status does not mean the park will be frozen in ice. Changes are still possible, but will need to take account of the site's heritage significance and be approved by the State Heritage Council. 

"This is a wonderful vindication of everything that we've been fighting for for so many years," Good For Manly President and Northern Beaches councillor Candy Bingham said. "I would like to congratulate everyone who has put so much energy into defending this precious place - particularly the Save Manly Oval Alliance, led by Jack Steggall and Roger Freney and the incredible research and documentation work led by Judy Lambert.

​"Now we have an opportunity to springboard off the new listing and make Ivanhoe Park even more special. I am putting forward a motion for council to prepare a Heritage Conservation Plan and a masterplan for the whole area, respecting our heritage but restoring or improving  facilities to better serve the community. 

Image:  Ivanhoe Park is a mixed use, tree filled 'pleasure ground'.

The fight to protect the park and sporting facilities started when Good For Manly opposed the former Manly Council’s ill-conceived plan to build a carpark under the Oval. 

​The battle was taken up by community group Save Manly Oval Alliance (SMOA), led by Jack Steggall, Roger Freney & Judy Lambert. Support has also come from Northern Beaches Council Mayor Michael Regan & State MP James Griffin & Federal MP Zali Steggall, whose father Jack was president of SMOA.  

The park has also had the enthusiastic support of Friends of Ivanhoe Park Botanic Gardens, led by Denise and Lloyd Keen, who have successfully lobbied for council beautification works and have made the local community more aware of the green space at the heart of our CBD. 

Ivanhoe Park was established in the 1850's by Henry Gilbert Smith, an early visionary who saw the potential of Manly as a place for recreation and leisure for the people of New South Wales.  He established a Victorian style 'pleasure ground' with a variety of sporting and community facilities in  a park land setting. ​As one of the few pleasure grounds that have survived intact to the present day, Ivanhoe Park is particularly precious. ​

The park was the site of a famous speech by 'the Father of Federation' Sir Henry Parkes, who in 1888 presented his vision for a federation commonwealth of Australian states. 

It was also home to many sporting clubs that, since their formation in the 1870s and 1880s, have contributed many state and international players to Australia's cricket and rugby teams. And it was the practice ground for the Aboriginal cricketers who made up the first indigenous sports team to tour England as Australian representatives, back in 1868.

Click here for more on Ivanhoe Park's  fascinating history from Manly Daily history buff John Morcombe.

A revamp of Little Manly Reserves is one step closer after Northern Beaches Council completed a second round of community consultation this month. 

But not much will change after strong community feedback that Little Manly is almost perfect as it is. Council staff have tailored the draft masterplan to make ‘minor adjustments’ only, meaning the area’s laid-back ‘look and feel’ will be kept and much-loved Little Manly Kiosk will stay the same. ​

Potential  ‘adjustments’ include;

New toilet facilities at Little Manly Point park, located at the top near the carpark.  The end of the point, now used on both sides for fishing and barbeques, will be upgraded with landscaping, shade trees, sandstone wall seating – like East Esplanade, and viewing seats. The existing playground will get a revamp. 

At Little Manly beach itself, a new path will be built in front of the kiosk to fix the choke point caused by the accessible access path going right through the middle of the café.  There will also be more shade trees, but none blocking the Marshall St harbour sight lines, new decking around the Norfolk Island pine, and better access to the beach down the main steps. Repositioning the swings, and adding more seating, depends on community feedback. 

Images   clockwise from top left:  two views of Little Manly Point, space around this Norfolk Is pine to be enhanced by decking, Little Manly beach from Stuart St with clear harbour sight lines.

The unclear future of No 40 Stuart St – the council-owned block next to the open space – has generated community concern that it was about to be sold off. That won’t happen, according to Cr Candy Bingham with the Northern Beaches Council committed to protecting public open space. The situation will continue as it is – with No 40 rented out, and generating about $100,000 per annum, until the loan to purchase the property is substantially paid off.

The other council-owned house – No 34 Stuart St – is also up for review, with council canvassing ideas for community use of the property. Any new use would be limited to recreational or educational activities, with final selection to be made by a public tender process. Improvements are planned for the nearby kayak and boat storage areas to make better use of space.  

Other recommendations include widening a narrow section of the footpath on the beach side of Stuart St, and a possible new footpath through No 34 to move pedestrians away from busy Craig Ave. Parking in Stuart St may be reduced from eight hours to four and traffic calming put in place. In the water, powered boats may be kept out of swimming areas. 

Images: Boat ramp access to beach, narrow footpath on Craig Ave

​Northern Beaches Counillor Candy Bingham praised staff for listening to the community as they drew up the plan.

“Most people love this area as it is, so what they have done very effectively is that they haven’t changed things so much as enhanced things," Cr Bingham said.  “The opportunity of this round of consultation is that it will just tweak things and I’m sure the community will be absolutely delighted with the final outcome”. 

Council staff will now review submissions from the consultation process and complete the Masterplan accordingly. It will be presented to Council for adoption later this year. ​

The new Centre for Country Kids on Wentworth St, and Old Royal Far West buildings on South Steyne 

The rebuild will enable the charity to expand its work - caring for country kids with health and developmental problems. 

Royal Far West will not sell any part of the beachfront site and will work within the approved development application which is already in place. That means building heights will be restricted to five stories with a set back for street frontages, and eight levels at the back of the site. 

The ageing red-brick buildings on Wentworth St and South Steyne will be demolished, with the new campus likely to include retail and commercial space and residential accommodation.

Business Director Jacqui Emery said the organisation needed to expand to be able to help the increasing number of country kids with health and developmental needs. 

She said more than 100,000 needy children in remote or regional Australia had very limited, or no access to paediatric specialists. Their needs included developmental problems such as autism or attention deficit disorders; mental health issues; or speech, movement, dietary or dental problems.

A first step has already been taken with the purpose-built Centre for Country Kids opening its doors on Wentworth St late last year.  

The stylish $43 million building integrates treatment, recreation and school rooms in a welcoming, open-plan design.  Assessment and treatment rooms are bright-coloured and well-equipped and class rooms and rec areas are chock full of games, toys and activity areas.

Clockwise from top right: Multi-purpose outdoor play space; school room for very young children; history wall in lobby; school room for primary students. All in new Centre for Country Kids. 

It's where country children spend their days, usually accompanied by their parents and other siblings, during a week-long assessment or treatment program. Treatment is holistic, with Royal Far West employing 150 staff, including paediatricians, dentists, speech and occupational therapists, psychologists, dieticians and nurses. Parents, who often feel isolated and overwhelmed, are supported too. The program, which includes all meals and five nights accomodation, is valued at $7000 per family but is provided free of charge. 

While in-house treatment is required for complex problems, many children can be treated remotely using 'Telecare'. This Skype-like system allows clinicians to go virtually anywhere in Australia and help 400 children a week. It's the way of the future, and will be vastly increased in the new campus. 

Although Royal Far West does receive some State and Federal government funding, the charity needs to raise a lot of its own income. At present that's mainly from donations, although the new Wentworth St centre has smart new conference rooms and gathering spaces for hire. And in Drummond House next door, reasonably priced accomodation is available for rent on weekends and during school holidays.  But it's not enough. 

"We're a charity," Ms Emery said. "We always want to do more. There are so many kids out there that we want to help. If we can't intervene when they're young, many of them don't  engage in school, don't finish, don't get proper jobs, and end up on the street or at the police station. If we don't do it, who will?"

She said that while the charity will keep its Manly site, which is its biggest asset, adding retail and residential units would enormously help its income stream. At the same time the organisation is determined to deliver something "absolutely beautiful and iconic" to rejuvenate the south end of the beach. 

A DA is expected to be lodged in the next two years with plenty of community consultation along the way.

Aug 22: More details have emerged on redevelopment possibilities. They include independent leasehold oceanfront units for the over 55s, “high integrity” restaurants, a health centre, childcare centre and even a 24-hour triage centre. More information here. 

Those residents living in areas with restricted parking are about to have their parking permits reviewed in an effort by the Northern Beaches Council to bring the long-running scheme in line with Roads & Maritime Services Parking Permit Mandatory Guidelines.

Currently there are approximately 5,200 on street resident parking spaces, with over 7,500 permits issued.

The ten areas affected are Little Manly, Balgowlah, Tower Hill, Tower Hill Extension, Ocean Beach, The Isthmus (CBD), Fairy Bower, Ivanhoe Park, Ivanhoe Park Extension and Ethel Street.

The Guidelines state that only residents who have no off-street parking (or a residence that could not be reasonably modified to provide on-site parking space(s), are entitled to an on street permit - and only one.

Also, the number of permits are not to exceed the number of spaces available!

This will be a big task for council staff who will explore the issues residents face in finding parking, while also providing parking for tradies and visitors and regular carers of the elderly or young children.

The first step will be consulting with existing permit holders as well as undertaking an audit of off-street parking options.  Current permit holders will receive an email from Council in the coming weeks inviting their input, and face-to-face meetings will be available at the Manly Town Hall.

• Mon 17 Jun, 9 – 11am
• Tue 18 Jun, 3 – 5pm
• Wed 19 Jun, 5 – 7pm
• Thu 20 Jun, 12 – 2pm
• Sat 22 Jun, 9 – 11am 

A report is expected to come back to Coucil around August this year.
A copy of the RMS Guidelines are attached.
​

MANLY'S iconic boardwalk and harbour pool were destroyed in a storm almost 50 years ago. But they have never been forgotten. 

Now the effort to bring back the much-loved swim spot is getting serious, with Northern Beaches Council preparing a masterplan for the pool and surrounding West Esplanade area. The plan will include a feasibility study into reinstating the boardwalk and harbour pool, upgrading the area around Manly Art Gallery and investigating the future of  the former Sea Life Sanctuary aquarium building. ​

Northern Beaches Cr Candy Bingham, a longtime champion of the boardwalk project, has worked with eco architect Maurice Patten to develop a concept plan for the area. 

It includes a boardwalk stretching from Manly Wharf to the former Sea Life Sanctuary; a huge calm-water swimming area with pontoons and a lap-swimming section; an environmental sea-grass area and a little penguin protected zone. On land there would be landscaping and a focus on art, education and culture, anchored by the existing Manly Art Gallery and Museum.

“I’m so excited that this is moving forward,” Cr Bingham said.  “There was such a gap when the boardwalk was destroyed, and it’s never really been filled.” 

So much happening in Manly at the moment. Here's the interesting bits.
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The project will be run by Surfrider Foundation Manly, which has received a $50,000 State Government grant.  Surfrider will use the funds to set up a community-based Ocean Recovery Hub, centred around a Shruder - a compact, industrial machine that shreds plastic. The grant will also cover a 3D printer and appropriate training. 

As well as recycling plastic waste, Surfrider aims to deliver

• Interactive waste education programs at school, community and corporate level, including mobile displays at community events
• Micro-business opportunities for manufacturers working with recycled plastic
• A platform for local businesses to offset their plastic use
• Diversion of plastic waste from landfill, and from inappropriate recycling streams.   ​

​Images: Shruder machine; plastic shreds

Manly's getting its crayweed back. ​

Crayweed, a form of seaweed, will be replanted in Cabbage Tree Bay in a locally-funded SIMS (Sydney Institute of Marine Science) initiative.  

The crayweed, which formed dense underwater forests along the Sydney coastline, provides food and a habitat for fish and marine invertebrates. But it disappeared sometime during the 1980s due to high pollution levels. The ocean is clean now, but the forests won't come back without our help.

Local residents Dorset Sutton and Jenny Lim Sutton are supporting a replanting operation in Cabbage Tree Bay. Operation Crayweed Manly has now been approved by the Department of Primary Industries and will start early in 2019. Healthy adult crayweed from existing populations will be transplanted to deforested rocks in Cabbage Tree Bay and attached using biodegradable mesh. The technique has been successful in many other Sydney sites, with crayweed reestablishing itself and recolonising the area. And once the crayweed is back, crayfish, abalone and a huge array of other fish and invertebrates come back too.

More details here, including opportunities to help.  

In a letter to the Manly Vale Public School in October 2016 the then NSW Premier, Mike Baird, said that “the NSW Planning Minister is currently looking at ways to increase the conservation status of bushland within the Manly Warringah Memorial Park. One option is the conversion of the Park into a state park”.  (That happened on 7th April 2017.)
 
The then Premier also said “the Government will transfer a parcel of land owned by Sydney Water at Seaforth and adjacent to the War Memorial Park, back to the park.”  I think everyone just assumed this had been done.  But it hasn’t happened yet – and we need to act now to protect it.
 
With the support of the Mayor, Michael Regan, Manly Ward Councillor Candy Bingham, has been successful in having the Council agree to commence the planning process to have these parcels of land rezoned from Residential to Recreational.  And it is hoped that Sydney Water will also agree to have their land included in the boundaries of the Park.
 
This corridor of land which is situated at the north east corner of the intersectin of the Wakehurst Parkway and Kirkwood Street, Seaforth,  is not pristine bush, but it serves the purpose of protecting the integrity of the park. It includes a part of the Wakehurst Golf Course, a section is traversed by the circuit trail for cycling and walking; and the land plays an important function in protecting the Manly Dam Catchment, and is part of a wildlife corridor.

A further two parcels of land on the fringe of the park in King Street  Manly Vale and Wandella Road, Allambie, are also to planned to be rezoned to recreational.

The Save Manly Dam Community Group also need to be acknowledged for their tireless work to protect this special park.

It will take years for the Northern Beaches LEP to be completed which is why we need to get on with this rezoning from Residential back to Recreational to protect this very important area from redevelopment.

Old Manly Hospital site has locked in its first project. It’s ‘Big Bear Cottage’, a hospice and respite care centre for young adults with life-limiting illnesses.

​Bear Cottage, located just down the road, can’t take patients over 18 years, meaning these sick young people often end up in geriatric hospital wards.  Now, there will be an alternative, with the State Government unveiling a design plan for a young adult hospice last month.  It features public areas, bedrooms for about eight patients, sweeping harbour views, and privacy - as a result of its proposed location at the back of the old hospital site.  

​Images: Hospice design plan, including games room. 

Manly is set to get the surf club we deserve, after the Northern Beaches Council approved a plan to knock down and rebuild the existing Manly Surf Pavilion building. ​

Northern Beaches Councillor and Good For Manly President Candy Bingham, who has been campaigning for the project, said she was delighted that the work would go ahead. 

"When the existing club building was built in 1981 there were only 15 female patrolling members," Cr Bingham said. "There are now 760."

"It is the largest club on the northern beaches, and it's not only used by club members, but by the Bold & Beautiful swimmers and other community groups."

"Storage facilities are completely inadequate and the public toilets under the building are a disgrace. The toilets are over 40 years old, but they're used by more than 2 million beach goers every summer. Every day I get complaints about the state they're in.

"The great thing about this project is that the whole community will benefit. We'll get the new toilets and we'll also get community facilities in the new building," Cr Bingham said. 

Manly SLSC itself is 115 years old, and has occupied various buildings before the existing one. In 1981 the clubhouse was actually on the beach and could be accessed directly from the sand. 

​The club also has a huge collection of historic surfing artefacts and memorabilia. It's now in storage as there's no room to put it on display. The images below show: Frank Hurley's iconic image of the club and shark tower in the 1950s; Manly surf reel and long boards; surf life saving demonstration c1910.

The Council will carry out community consultation before a design is selected, and will soon invite expressions of interest from architects.
​
Cr Bingham said she would like to thank Manly SLSC members and Council staff for their work so far, and Manly State MP James Griffin, who is sourcing State Government funds for the project. ​

         Work commences Corso Shops                   Artist's Impression of New Works

The historic facade on the first floor will be kept, but behind that will be new kitchen facilities, a row of flexible meeting rooms and offices. The set-back second floor, not visible from The Corso, will contain a 180-seat auditorium with a kitchen and cafe. There will be a large new basement for storage space. 

At ground level, the row of shops will have ‘consistent’ frontages and signage, with the church looking for up-market tenants, including ‘iconic’ clothing brands, and a high-end coffee shop. Manly’s much-loved chemist Malouf’s Pharmacy, which was in that row of shops and was forced to relocate, will be offered a spot.

The work will take up to a year to complete, but the experience will be softened with a mural coming to replace the existing ugly hoardings. 

​It’s official - our beaches are very good.

The latest State of the Beaches report rated all 32 Northern Beaches as either ‘good’ or ‘very good’ in terms of water quality and swimability.

​The State Government’s annual report showed that northern peninsula beaches did particularly well, with Palm Beach, Whale Beach, Avalon, Bilgola, Newport, Bungan and Mona Vale beaches all scoring ‘very good’ - the top mark. 

South Curl Curl was also rated ‘very good’, while all the rest of our ocean beaches, including Freshwater, Manly and Shelly beach, were rated ‘good’. 

Our harbour beaches did well too - with Clontarf and Forty Baskets pools, Fairlight Beach, Manly Cove and Little Manly Cove all rated ‘good’. All of these were the same as the previous year, except Clontarf, which improved. 

Good For Manly President and Northern Beaches Councillor Candy Bingham welcomed the result. 

“The water is such a big part of our life here on the Northern Beaches, so beach and water cleanliness is incredibly important to us,” she said. 

“This is a good result, and the council will keep working to improve the stormwater network and continue with bush and creek regeneration so our beaches stay clean."

Northern Beaches Council has signed a contract with waste management company SUEZ to process the entire contents of residents’ rubbish (red lid) bins. The process, which will be carried out at SUEZ’s Eastern Creek facility, will first remove any recyclable plastics or paper products. Organic matter will then be separated out and turned into compost material for use in agriculture and mine site revegetation. 
​
The council originally envisaged residents sorting their own food waste and disposing of it in the green lid garden vegetation bin along with plant and lawn cuttings.  However the new strategy means all food waste will be recovered, with no need to rely on residents doing the right thing. 

The council selected SUEZ in August last year as a result of a tender process, with the new service to start in July 2019.

Council Deputy Mayor and President of Good For Manly Candy Bingham welcomed the extra recycling step. 

“The new process will recycle 70% of what gets thrown into the garbage - whether it’s food waste, or paper and plastics that are in the wrong bin,” Cr Bingham said.  “That’s a huge amount of material diverted from landfill and retuned to the economy.  

“This is a major step by the council to recycle as much as we can, but there’s still a big role for individuals to play, in not throwing away so much in the first place. ” 

The Council will also get a new fleet of garbage trucks after a 10-year contract was signed with United Resources Management (URM) earlier this month.  The new vehicles will have up-to-date safety features, emission-controlled engines and fully enclosed covers for the loading ‘hopper’. 

As well the Council will introduce a separate metal collection; and will work with local community groups to separate out and retrieve valuable items, such as furniture and white goods, from kerbside collections.

“Everyone I talk to has been inspired by the ABC’s War on Waste,” Cr Bingham said. “I have no doubt the community will work together with the council to recycle, reuse or  repair - rather than tossing things that just go straight into landfill.”

​Many people in the Manly community have worked hard for this for years, including Sharnie Connell from the Marine Conservation Society, the Surfrider Foundation, and Manly Environment Centre.  Our local MP James Griffin has also pledged his support. 

All up the proposed new park would deliver 25 new marine sites in the Hawksbury Shelf Bioregion between Newcastle to Wollongong, including sites at Dee Why headland, Long Reef, Narrabeen Head, Mona Vale, Bungan and Barrenjoey headlands and Lion Island, as well as Chowder Bay, Camp Cove and Nielsen Park. Despite this, 95% of the region remains available for fishing. 

More details here for  Cabbage Tree Bay and North Harbour Reserve. 

The government is conducting a public consultation process, before making its final decision. Have your say by Thursday Sept 27 at  https://www.marine.nsw.gov.au/key-initiatives/hawkesbury-shelf-marine-assessment

New ‘Airbnb’ legislation is on its way through State Parliament.  It’s an attempt to deal with problems with short-term lets in apartment blocks, and balance the needs of short-stay hosts and their guests, with the rights of other residents in the block. ​

Owners corporations (body corporates) can now pass by-laws banning short stay letting in investment units, although a 75% vote is required.  But it’s a different story for unit owners who rent out their own home - their principal place of residence. 

Owners corporations have no power to ban short-stay rentals of a unit owner's own home. There's no restrictions at all if the host is still living there and just renting out a few rooms; but new Environmental Planning Laws will limit the time the entire unit - host not there - can be rented out to 180 days a year. 

New ’Two strikes and you’re out’ laws are meant to protect other apartment owners from anti-social behaviour by short term renters. These are yet to be tested. 

A short-stay rental usually means anything less than 30 days, with Airbnb and Stayz dominating the market. 

Sydney Morning Herald 15/8/18. 'Developer chases $74 million payout in bungled Manly development'. It says:

"The builder contracted to transform a site in Manly's town centre has accused the former Manly Council of misleading conduct for failing to reveal it bungled the contract when the company signed up to the doomed project.

But the new Northern Beaches Council has levelled the blame at the previous council's general manager, Henry Wong, who it claims in court documents was not authorised to enter into the agreement....".   More here

​The reinstatement of the famous harbour pool and boardwalk came closer this month with  a $100,000 NSW Government grant received by the Council to undertake a Masterplan for the area.  For years Good For Manly has been advocating for the pool to be reinstated, with plans drawn up by eco architect Maurice Patten.  Now, thanks to the support of Local Member James Griffin, this community-lead project is back on the agenda.

The Masterplan will include extensive community consultation and consideration of this environmentally sensitive area.  First, here's a reminder of how things used to be. 

SEVEN MILES FROM SYDNEY - AND A THOUSAND MILES FROM CARE ...

​Picture the excitement as families rushed off the Manly ferry, hurried over the boardwalk and jumped into Sydney’s biggest harbour pool. 

Crowds of happy people would be eating ice-cream on the walkway, diving from the pontoons and high boards and spilling off the slippery dips and treadmills; shrieking and splashing.

From the early 1930’s locals and tourists alike flocked to the free public pool, dubbed the ‘best swimming pool in Australia’. Thrill-seekers sought out the high dive platforms and 15m waterslide and a generation of Sydneysiders swam and played in the protected waters behind the shark nets.

There were spacious changerooms and plenty of tearooms for afterwards. At night, from 1932, floodlights above and below the water lit the promenade and turned the water green. 

At its peak, over 250,000 visitors came to the baths every year, boosting local businesses which offered fun rides and speed-boat trips, as well as food and drink.  

The pool justified Manly’s famous slogan:  ‘Seven miles from Sydney and a thousand miles from care’, and the village revelled in its prime holiday destination status.

Originally constructed in 1931 by the Port Jackson Steamship Company, the boardwalk survived the wartime years but, by the mid ‘60s, maintenance needs were rising and there was talk of demolishing the structure. 

In May 1974 a severe autumn gale pre-empted the decision and destroyed the boardwalk so thoroughly that then owners, Brambles Industries, had no choice but to remove everything.

YOU CAN VIEW A WONDERFUL SHORT DOCUMENTARY ON THE HISTORY OF THE POOL, produced by local Marian Hambly, HERE

And here's our video of ideas for a new green, family friendly harbour pool precinct.     More details here.

A change to the alignment of the tunnel means the Balgowlah course can now be used for major construction work and later, as the site of one of the two tunnel ventilation stacks.  This move not only saves homes and bushland west of Burnt Bridge Deviation but also moves the stack further away from Seaforth Public School.  Permanent infrastructure, including the exhaust stack and a tunnel link road, mean that the site will no longer be viable as a golf course. Instead the government has promised that once the tunnel work is done, it will be reconfigured into playing fields or open space.

Changes have been made at Seaforth as well. The second tunnel access point and exhaust stack has been moved 500m further north along Wakehurst Parkway, as a result of concerns that the infrastructure would be too close to houses and Seaforth oval.  The government has promised that Seaforth oval sports fields will not be affected by construction work, and that work trucks will be kept off local roads.  As well, Wakehurst Parkway will get wildlife crossing sites, and a new cycle/pedestrian path, complete with an underpass.

Northern Beaches Councillor Sarah Grattan, who has been working closely with community advocacy groups, said while the changes were welcome, more needed to be done. 

“(The design) is not perfect by any stretch - but thanks to constructive community advocacy we have a much better proposal to work with,” Cr Grattan said. 

She said unresolved issues include the tunnel access site on Wakehurst Parkway, which has not been moved far enough north, and remains too close to homes on Kirkwood St. And the Balgowlah emission stack remains a concern as fumes may be trapped in the ‘Balgowlah  basin’. Cr Grattan suggests that airflow should be redirected in the tunnel to push the majority of emissions to the Wakehurst Parkway stack, which is on a ridge, and therefore better positioned for dispersal of fumes. Filtering the Balgowlah stack is another suggestion. 

Other concerns include construction traffic and road safety around Balgowlah Boys High School; compensation and transfer options for Balgowlah Golf Club members and the effect of a major construction site in Seaforth. 

Discussions are underway between the Manly Surf Life Saving Club and Northern Beaches Council to begin the process to upgrade facilities at Manly's iconic beach.

At the June Council meeting, Deputy Mayor, Candy Bingham, moved that Council prepare a report on:

1. The present condition and adequacy of the Manly Life Saving Club building.
   
   
2. What action would be appropriate to bring the Club’s building into line with present and foreseeable future requirements.
   
   
3.  The possibility of a design competition for a new building.
   
   
4. What funding options would be available, for a new building, including Government Grants.

 
A full report is expected to be competed by by October 2018.

Some Background on MLSC​​
Established in 1903 Manly Life Saving Club is one of the oldest surf clubs in Australia. It is situated at the iconic Manly Beach where an estimated 2 million people swim each year. 
 
The Club is run solely by volunteers, and is the largest on the Northern Beaches with 1975 members, including 705 young nippers and cadets, and 670 patrolling volunteer members.  
 
Manly’s volunteer lifesavers performed a total of 16,000 patrol hours and 3,950 water safety hours in the 2017/2018 season.  MLSC trains and refreshes credentials of over 800 people each year.
 
Why A New Building?
The existing building, which was constructed in 1981, is now totally inadequate for the current needs of the Club, and the community.  For example, when the Club was built, there were only 30 patrolling female members, there are now 760! 
 
The structure is in an extremely poor condition and provides no disability access. 
 
In addition, the public facilities are antiquated and totally inadequate.  For example SurfEducate host 200 schools and run 300 sessions on Manly Beach each year, a total of 15,000 students.

The Bold & Beautiful and other ocean swimming groups can tally over 600 swimmers on the average summer morning.  Even in winter these numbers still remain in the hundreds, seven days a week.  And of course there are millions of tourists each year visiting the beach.
 
Some years ago Manly Life Saving Club obtained a Development Approval to substantially remodel the Club, with an estimated budget of $5m required. However, present indications are that a complete rebuilding of the existing structure is required.

Council has committed $550,000 across three community grant streams in 2018/19 and local community groups are encouraged to apply.  Workshops will also be held to assist with how to to fill out an application.

There are the categories:

• Community and Cultural Development – closing 11am, Monday 6 August
• Events – closing 11am, Monday 6 August
• Sports and Recreation Infrastructure – closing 11am, Thursday 2 August.

 
Eligibility
Applicants must be incorporated not-for-profit organisations; however, individuals and unincorporated small groups may apply for a grant but must be auspiced by an eligible organisation.
 
Each grant program has its own eligibility, objectives and assessment criteria with clear guidelines and application forms are to be completed online. Contact details for each program are contained in the relevant guidelines.
 
Find out more
Information sessions are being held at Dee Why Civic Centre:
Community and Cultural Development and Events Grants:
Tuesday 3 July, 10am – 12noon
Wednesday 4 July, 6 - 8pm

Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Grants: 
Monday 2 July, 10am – 12noon  and 6 – 8pm
 
Two general grant writing seminars will also be held on:  
Thursday 5 July, 10am – 12noon at Dee Why Civic Centre
Thursday 5 July, 6 – 8pm at Manly Town Hall