Merry Christmas and Happy New year, this is our final newsletter for 2024. Thanks to everyone who has supported the Manly Community Forum and participated in our meetings over 2024. Thanks to the teams who have delivered the newsletters and the community members who have attended the meetings. Congratulations to Councillors Bingham, Harvey and Gratton who were elected to Council in September this year to represent the Manly Ward for the next four years. Manly Community Forum is also supported by the Northern Beaches Council which provides access to senior staff who have been generous with their time and advice in responding to our many requests for action and information.

The MCF is an active community group which has been advocating on the many issues that arise in the Manly and Eastern Hill area. Over the past 12 months we have seen the completion of the toilets at Little Manly Point Park, the repair of the sink hole at the point and we await a decision on the future of the bridge there. The Forum has had regular meetings with staff regarding improvements to Darley Rd which includes reducing and managing the speed of vehicles down this road as well as fixing the mess left by Ausgrid. Council has reinstated the paving and painted the heritage bollards at the Victoria Pde roundabout but we hope to see some more of the suggestions made by the group come to fruition in the early half of 2025.

Over on the Fairy Bower side it seems the new toilet block ran over budget to the extent that nothing else can be done at Shelly or along Marine Parade. Maybe with the rate rise funds will become available to improve the landscaping in the area, replace the tourist info maps and maintain the quality of the footpath along Marine Parade. Fisheries have done a good job replacing some for the Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve fish interpretive signs.

In March we saw the Council install a beautiful fence and gate at the top of the steps at the start of the Manly to Spit path and in September we saw Council repair the wooden walkway around the Pavillion and remove the fence and gate.

National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Catholic Church are continuing to work on on a solution that will see the heritage stone w all adjacent to Collins Flat being repaired. There are hopes it will be rebuilt next year.

Ongoing advocacy by the Manly Community saw the State Government agree to rezone the former Manly Hospital in June to progress the plan to reuse the old hospital and grounds as a Health and Wellbeing precinct. The Youth Hospice opened and is now operating with acclaim.

Months passed as the Council discussed shifting the deck chairs around on the Corso with its Place Plan, which was eventually voted on and supported, but don’t expect any implementation of the ‘Plan’ for another few years. Maybe Council will find a better use for the former Manly Town Hall that won’t drain the budget since Council can’t afford to turn it into an entertainment venue.

In August Council published concept plans for the rebuilding of the Manly Lifesaving Club. These concept plans showed that the Council had listened to the community and decided not to build a separate amenity block in the middle of the promenade, but now controversially, instead extend the existing building footprint north into the public open space. There was no more consultation, but the community certainly let Council know that this was not acceptable. Noone disputes the need to rebuild the Manly Life Saving Club, but the general feeling is that it should remain within the current footprint. The DA is now delayed till early 2025.

The Little Manly Masterplan was finalised in October with the demolition of Number 40 Stuart St and the area landscaped. We have had a busy year and we expect 2025 to be as busy as we follow up on better management of e bikes and increased summer crowds after midnight as Felons has increased its capacity by thousands

We will continue to advocate for Shelly Beach and Marine Parade as well as the Darley Road Gateway to North Head project and keep a watching brief on the plans for the Manly Life Saving Club. North Steyne Surf Club also has plans for extensions and refurbishments, but no funding is available.