Dust Bowl or Park?

It would have to be one of Manly's most popular gathering spots and yet years of neglect by the former Manly Council has turned East Esplanade into a sorry excuse for a park.

 Years of requests by the Little Manly Precinct and former Councillor Candy Bingham for a Masterplan for this harbourside jewel were all but ignored, with the former Council regularly topsoiling this area in an effort to keep it looking reasonable, only to have the soil washed away the first time it rained.  Which created another issue - dirt being washed consistently onto the sand and into the harbour.

It now appears that a former resolution moved by Clr Bingham to have the toilet facilities replaced and increased, and for a Masterplan to be developed for the area, has been taken up by the new Northern Beaches Council administration, who are seriously looking into the issue.

"The Council has also recognised that this area is in need of urgent maintenance, with major erosion causing the space to look more like an old war zone than a park"  Good For Manly President Candy Bingham said.

"East Esplanade has become the spot for locals and visitors alike to gather to enjoy a swim, picnic and watch the sunset.  It has been literally loved to death", she added.

The area has so many issues that need to be addressed including the storm water catchment, sewage odours, cigarette butts and bottle tops which are difficult to remove, and of course the lack of toilet facilities.

What would you like to see improved at East Esplanade Reserve?