Read the Mayor’s message for updates on new recreational facilities and libraries, development of the ambitious coastal walkway from Manly to Palm Beach and big picture issues that affect the Northern Beaches.
Friday 30 September
Congratulations to our new Deputy Mayor elected this week, Cr Sue Heins. There are few people like Sue – so very dedicated to making a difference in the community in so many ways. And a special shout out to outgoing Deputy Clr Candy Bingham, thanks for all your great work in the community and support personally as Deputy.
This week Council endorsed the comprehensive strategy which will guide our short, medium and long term management of the Narrabeen Lagoon entrance. Many locals have been involved in the development of the strategy as we sought feedback on the range of options that can assist to manage the flood risk.
We all know there are no easy fixes when dealing with Mother Nature! However, it’s important that this work to review and assess possible options using the best available science has been done. We can now get on with implementing the list of priority actions to continue to manage the risk as much as possible. Note importantly that reviews will be ongoing for this vulnerable piece of coastline. It has to for so many reasons.
It’s getting near the pointy end for the Class of 2022! What a few years it has been for you too. Good news is our libraries are again offering exclusive use to HSC students during mornings and early evenings for that last cramming. Entry is free, we’ll lay on a few snacks and there are even some lucky door prizes. Check out the hours here. Don’t forget too, that Forestville Library is now open 24 hours.
Finally, a reminder of double demerits apply this long weekend – drive safely and enjoy the break.
Friday 23 September
TRANSCRIPT:
It’s action stations down here in Manly as we gear up for Manly Jazz, kicking off this evening and running all weekend.
After a two-year hiatus, where covid forced the event online, we are thrilled to once again be hosting this much loved event, now in its 45th year!
There are four stages and over 70 acts including the popular big brass bands, fun roving musicians, emerging artists, blues inspired quartets and swing ensembles.
You don’t need to be a jazz aficionado – if you’ve been before you’ll know the atmosphere is electric on the Corso and laneways.. plus this year lots of our local bars and restaurants are hosting jazz artists inside their venues.
Piano for The People is back by popular demand, offering passers-by a chance to play an upright piano for their audience or you can enjoy the Corso’s jazz garden – a small oasis to sit down in and soak up the atmosphere.
Check out the full program on your website and keep up to date on the socials: @manlyjazz.
Hope to see you there.
Friday 16 September
Vale Queen Elizabeth II. For over 70 years she was a constant in our lives, an incomparable example of dedication to service and duty. She epitomised grace and dignity and provided a steady hand through decades of turbulent times. It’s almost as if we knew her personally. Monarchists and Republicans alike I think would agree – a great innings your Majesty. Well played. Your work here is done.
Indeed, we send our most heartfelt condolences to the Royal Family. Please join with us in paying our respects. Condolence books are available to sign at Manly, Mona Vale and Dee Why Customer service centres, as well as our library branches. You can also share condolences online.
The Federal Government has announced a special public holiday will be held on Thursday 22 September to commemorate the Queen. Our operating hours for many of our services and facilities like our libraries and swimming pools will change slightly, so check our website for details. All libraries will be closed and our customer service centres in Manly, Dee Why, Mona Vale and Avalon will be closed. You can still call us on 1300 434 434 to report any urgent issues.
Next week is also Emergency Ready Week – a great opportunity to check how prepared you are for emergencies and disasters.
Our community took a battering this year from wild weather events and flooding. For many of us, it showed just how quickly natural disasters can unfold and how we cannot become complacent.
The good news is you can be prepared! Get to know the four simple steps you can take.
On a much lighter note, there’s less than one week to go to Manly Jazz, Australia’s longest running Jazz Festival. So check out the program, dust off your dancing shoes and join us next weekend for three jam packed days of big brass bands, roving musicians and some of the best blues and jazz artists Australia has to offer.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Friday 9 September
Did you know that 80% of a child’s brain develops before the age of 5? That’s why our Early Educators are so important, fostering early learning and development for our next generations.
If you have ever thought you’d like to be an educator – we’d love to hear from you! We have trainee and certificate positions available.
This Wednesday marked Early Childhood Educators' Day – an opportunity to say thank you to all the fantastic educators at Council’s children’s centres, and to all those local early childhood educators who make learning so fun for our kids every day.
It’s also National Child Protection Week - an annual initiative based on the principle that protecting children is everyone’s business. At Council child safety is a priority and we have mandatory training for all our staff in recognising and responding to child safety issues. Check out our website for info on how you too can report child protection concerns and find links to handy resources for online safety and support services.
And with the school holidays fast approaching, be sure to make use of our vacation care with lots of super fun activities including sushi making, picnics and visits from the Taronga Zoomobile.
Have a great weekend.
Friday 2 September
In 1971 local advocate Olive Beaton turned the first sod for the construction of Mona Vale Library.
This Saturday we mark 50 years since the library was complete.
At the time it was believed to be the best equipped branch library in NSW and was designed by the same architect as Dee Why Library.
Mona Vale Library is now housed in a newer building, completed in 2004 and a far cry from those first library days.
Our modern libraries are so much more than places to borrow books! They are treasure troves of educational materials and entertainment, last year attracting over 470,000 visits across the Northern Beaches’ six library branches.
These days your library card opens the door to audio books and e-magazines, online tutorials, student support and feedback, career and resume resources, author talks, toddler story time and much much more. You can even learn a language through the library!
Plus our fabulous Local Studies teams can help you discover your family ancestry or you can just browse through the incredible array of old photos of our area on the History Hub.
And we have just launched a trial to keep Forestville Library open 24/7 to make it more accessible to all.
So join us this Saturday to mark 50 years of great community service here at Mona Vale Library, 1pm – 3pm. I look forward to sharing a cuppa with you.
This weekend we also mark the incredible milestone of 20 years of Narrabeen Head Aquatic Reserve, offering a higher level of protection to this special part of our coastline. Join us for a day of activities for the whole family.
Have a great weekend.
Friday 26 August
The 2022 Northern Beaches Local Business Awards on Wednesday night showcased the incredible work our local businesses do every day in our community. Congratulations to all the finalists and winners.
A particular shout out to 4 Pines who took out the Council-sponsored Sustainability Business Award for their ongoing commitment to local and global sustainability initiatives. And to MTA Travel Natasha Spencer who was awarded our Disability Inclusion Award for going above and beyond to not only find their customers accessible holidays, but offer home visits and an accessible app alternative to paper-based forms. Brilliant!
So, with the winter sports season wrapping up – a big congrats to all the local teams who have, or are yet to, compete in the finals. The unending rain has made it a particularly challenging season for sports administrators who have worked closely with our staff to juggle games around all season to avoid the worst affected fields. As the last finals points are settled, Council teams will be out preparing the grounds for the coming summer sport season – let’s hope the summer weather is a little kinder.
Finally, best of luck to all those competing in the NSW/ACT Special Olympics state athletics at Narrabeen Sports Academy this weekend and to the local surf clubs who are finalists in 2022 Surf Lifesaving NSW Awards of excellence on Saturday night. It’s going to be a big weekend.
Have an awesome one.
Friday 19 August
We all know that amazing person in our community who continually puts others first, gives their time selflessly and makes the Northern Beaches a better place. So don’t miss this opportunity to give them the recognition they deserve!
This week nominations opened for our local Australia Day awards. There are six categories including for young and senior citizens as well as sportsperson, community event and outstanding community service.
Let’s celebrate all our unsung heroes - get your nominations in now so that we can all recognise and celebrate them together.
And how great was it to see so many creative events and open studios as part of Creative Open last weekend? If you missed it, make sure to check out the program for this weekend. With workshops, opportunities to see artists at work, exhibitions, music and much more - you can choose just one event or make a weekend of it. Awesome.
Finally, many people were devasted when the fire destroyed the sports building at Jamieson park last year. We are now working on concept designs for the building to replace it. Please Let us know what you’d like to see, or drop in and see us onsite next week. Details are here.
Apart from all of that, have a great weekend.
Friday 12 August
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Today I am at the Manly Art Gallery and Museum - surrounded by an incredible exhibition of finalists in the 2022 - Northern Beaches Environmental Art & Design Prize.
It’s one of three venues exhibiting the works of 212 finalists - who have responded to the brief to reflect upon our environment - or the issues facing our climate.
A huge congratulations to the winners across the nine categories which were announced last Friday night and indeed to all the finalists, who were selected from some 640 entries from around the country.
Thanks also to our amazing judges, Janet Laurence, Kit Willow and Michael Mossman who all had the near impossible task of narrowing down the winners!
This exhibition runs until the 28th of August, and there is a series of opportunities to meet the artists -and designers across all three exhibiting venues.
And if that’s not enough art and culture for you, Creative Open is also on again this weekend and next with more than 70 creative experiences on offer.
There are open studios, special exhibitions, workshops, public art and even performances. We are thrilled that so many local creatives are taking part in the program. You’ll find all the details on our website.
And finally, you may have seen some public art being installed in places like Narrabeen lagoon, Avalon, Long Reef and St David’s park in Dee Why. These projects celebrate our First Nation’s people and their connection to country and will be a great addition to our growing collection of public art across the region.
Have a great weekend.
Friday 5 August
It’s local government week which means we get to celebrate all that LG does.
On occasion I receive comments asking that Council stick to the traditional area of roads, rates and rubbish. While they are super important, our community would be much poorer if that’s all we did.
We have an incredible arts program, organise activities for young people, support initiatives to protect our oceans and bushland and reduce waste to landfill. We facilitate the Northern Beaches outdoor lifestyle maintaining sportsfields, rock pools, aquatic centres, playgrounds, skateparks and walking and bike tracks.
Our lifeguards save lives; our cleansing team keep the place looking good and clean up after us including removing graffiti; and our childcare staff ready our next generation for school. Our community centres, theatre and libraries foster learning and connection and our events bring people together and boost our local economy. And let's not forget our rangers whom many of you rely on to deal with the issues that you bring to our attention.
So a shout out to all these staff and many more who work very hard for our community every day.
Some examples of what we have been up to just this week:
- launched the Manly Jazz program
- released applications for sports grants
- hung the Northern Beaches Environmental Art and Design Prize exhibition (opens today!)
- called for input on a bigger, better pool for Clontarf Beach
- broadened a timber recycling trial
…and so so much more! Keep up to date by following @beachescouncil on our socials and through the website.
Have a great weekend!
Friday 29 July
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:
One of the best things about living on the beaches is the array of activities available – our parks, our playgrounds, our walking and cycling trails, our basketball courts and skate parks…they all facilitate our active outdoor lifestyle which we know is great for both mental and physical health.
We are pretty lucky to have so many recreational options available to us - but do we have the mix right? What’s missing? What should we, as council, prioritise?
Well here is your invitation to let us know. The draft Open Space and Recreation strategy is currently open for feedback.
It looks to address some of the common issues raised with us: a shortage of basketball facilities,..a need for more off-road cycling trails…a desire for outdoor fitness equipment in more locations…to name just a few.
The strategy also supports sustainable recreational use of our natural areas.
There are almost 200 actions listed in the draft strategy and so jump online now and tell us what you think.
And while you’re on Council’s Your Say page, check out what else you can provide input on.
Currently you’ll find the new draft designs for Freshie beach including a new playground, viewing area and boardwalk.
You can apply to be on the working group that discusses the future uses of Manly Town Hall..
..or you can even tell us where you’d like new electric vehicle charging stations.
It’s not hard to have a say and I assure you Council staff and Councillors read all your comments and suggestions – it really helps in our decision making.
I look forward to hearing from you.
