Date

MANLY COMMUNITY FORUMNEWSLETTERJULY 2019

The next Manly Community Forum meeting will take place on MONDAY

15th July at 7 pm, Manly Yacht Club, East Esplanade.

The suggested plan for the area will be detailed at our July meeting. Early discussions with the Manly Community Forum (MCF) suggests that Council has listened to resident responses at community consultation sessions and no major changes will be made to an area that is regarded as suitable as is, with some variations to improve safety, access and resident and visitor convenience.

What we know is being planned, but of course will require further public consultation, is:

. Little Manly Point Reserve will have additional toilets. The location will depend upon sewage access which may necessitate locating the toilets near to the Stuart Street sewerage line.

. Pedestrian access will be safer by the inclusion of a proper pathway along the edge of No. 34 Stuart Street which could be redesigned as a community/water sport access facility.

. Pathway from the disabled ramp onto Little Manly Beach area will be relocated so that it doesn?t cut through the current café service and table area.

There are other minor variations to infrastructure and landscape improvements that will be covered in our discussions on Monday evening.

The blue line on the photo below shows the area to be covered under the proposed Little Manly Beach and Reserve Master Plan.

GUEST SPEAKERS

- Jam es Gr if f in (Member for Manly) will address current hot

topics (see article on page 4) with a brief Q & A following.

- Jerem y Sm it h (Manager Park Assets - Planning Design &

Delivery) will present on the Little Manly landscape/Little

Manly Master Plan and variations proposed, along with

timelines for community consultation.

OTHER AGENDA ITEMS

- Resident park ing schem es - update on developments and

brief summary of the issues raised to date.

- Manly Hospit al sit e - movement at last! Major changes to

future management.

- East Esplanade Reserve - recent developments and Stage

2 planning.

- Wast e m anagem ent - concerns raised with Council on the

new bin roll-out.

- Meeting starts at 7 pm. It will be a short meeting followed

by our Chr ist m as in July celebrat ion which will start at

8 pm.

MCF Chr ist m as in July Celebrat ion

A great way to catch up with neighbours and meet new friends! There will be a short meeting followed by a festive Christmas spread - ham on the bone, BBQ, salad, specialty

breads, Christmas sweets and drinks.

COME AND JOIN US!

MONDAY 15 July at 8 pm

A donation of $5 is asked to subsidise costs.

MEETING AGENDALITTLE MANLY BEACH RESERVE MASTER PLAN

MANLY HOSPITAL SITE

Act ion: CEO and Senior Management/Mayor to ensure that strong representation is available for this recommenced group. Commencement of works on the youth hospice will provide a key element of controlled retention and community use for this iconic site. One of the site uses is aged care rehabilitation and aged care respite. Facilit ies in the Manly area are very thin as confirmed by the proposed expansion of these services in the Manly Waters hospital site. The Manly Waters site is very restricted.

Another vital demand in this area is affordable housing for key workers and crisis housing for those at risk. There is an opportunity for these at this site. We need action.

Council response: Director Community & Belonging advises that: On 21 June the Manly Hospital Committee met at Manly Town Hall, at this meeting the Mayor and senior Council staff attended and advocated for ongoing community use of the site. Council strongly supports the Young Adult Hospice and is working with the State Government to ensure this much needed facility is delivered.

With regard to the remainder of the site, there has been a detailed Master Planning process led by NSW Health Infrastructure including Council and key community stakeholders and a set of principles have been developed and agreed by the Committee. These principles will now inform the ongoing planning of the site. It is noted that the State government are the landowner and control the Master Planning process going forward.

EAST ESPLANADE STAGE 2

Act ion: Council is planning to temporarily close the steps down from East Esplanade to the park area. The East Esplanade roadway path up to Osborne needs to be re-surfaced to allow safe access. Currently it?s difficult for pram users or wheelchair access to navigate that path.

Council response: Council?s Transport Network Manager advises that this location is on the renewal list for the 2019/2020 program to be completed.

Act ion: Overwhelming majority (37 votes against to 5 for) do not support the concrete path planned for the reserve running adjacent to the roadway curb along East Esplanade.

Disadvantages:

- Would encourage people to cross the road not at the crossing.

- Too much concrete.

- Safety issue for cyclists and pram users with car users randomly opening their doors.

- Potential damage to tree roots and signs will have to be relocated.

Advantages:

- Provides an additional access path along the reserve, reducing damage to the grassed area. Spreads the usage along the reserve by providing an easy access.

- Allows entry to all areas without walking through picnickers.

Council response: Executive Manager Parks and Recreation has been advised ? to be discussed with CEO.

GENERAL BUSINESS

Act ion: Manly Wharf to Corso Pedestrian Crossing - residents raised the issue again of the dangerous crossing and number of near misses.

This has been an agenda item on numerous occasions.

JULY 2019 PAGE 2

ACTION REQUESTS & COUNCIL RESPONSES ACTION REQUESTS CONTINUED...

RESIDENT PARKING SCHEME SUBMISSION TO COUNCIL

Act ion: CEO and Council Executive to note from MCF Minutes, submissions and personal attendance at the drop-in sessions that this issue is of great concern to residents. Many drop-in attendees felt that Council had already decided an outcome. The sessions are good in that they encourage a response, but putting your thoughts on a post-it note does not allow sufficient space to be effective, and having an overview at the beginning of a drop-in session does not allow late arrivals to gain an understanding of Council direction. Residents ask that the Council not rush a recommendation to the Councillors before further consideration of the issues and some response to the submissions. Another presentation at the August meeting would ensure that residents felt their suggestions were being taken seriously. When will the proposed fee be introduced for first permit holders?

Council response: CEO to note ? Executive Manager Transport & Civil Infrastructure and Manager Transport Network are advised of the above feedback. The Manager Transport Network has advised that he can attend the August meeting and that the first permit fee will not be introduced until Council has adopted recommendations of the review.

STORMWATER & SEWAGE MANAGEMENT

Act ion: Stormwater management at Northern Beaches Council (NBC) to provide detail on works to be completed at Manly Cove/Ashburner Street/Main Manly Beach. MCF asks the CEO?s office to thank the stormwater staff for the works currently underway and completed.

Council response: The A/Manager Stormwater & Floodplain Engineering advises that the installation of a water quality device in East Esplanade (adjacent to Victoria Ave) is currently being finalised. Council will restore East Esplanade Reserve to the previous condition in early July 2019. Council plans to install further water quality devices at South Steyne and Steinton Street, to capture pollutants and improve the quality of stormwater discharge. It is expected that construction will commence in late August 2019.

Council has undertaken an initial hydraulic investigation of the Fairy Bower Pool stormwater outlet and is proposing a staged approach to the renewal which will involve design development along with community consultation in early August 2019.

More broadly Council has also just commenced an investigation into potential floodplain management options across the south of the local government area. This will identify a range of options to reduce flood risk, including in areas that drain to Manly Beach and Manly Cove.

TREE & SHRUB CONTROL & REPLACEMENT

Act ion: Council Management to confirm July action (East Esplanade and Little Manly Point) and when rabbit removal will take place. Residents to monitor the area for damage to planted stock.

Council response: Executive Manager Parks & Recreation advises that Council has engaged a contractor to trim the ?Fijian fireplant? that is growing adjacent to the Skiff Club walkway, these works will be carried out in July. At Little Manly Point Council will be engaging a contractor commencing in July to improve the vistas from the picnic areas by selective pruning. This will involve the removal of all the suckering Casuarina?s which will also improve views from the reserve.

Council response: Council?s Coordinator Invasive Species has advised that at Little Manly the program will be undertaken using professional marksmen and the rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV). The shooting program will recommence late July at the end of the school holidays. The RHDV is released at a date determined by the state government agency coordinating the program across Sydney.

JULY 2019 PAGE 3

Council response: Logged in CRM for the council lights out along the walkway to be attended to.

Manly Wharf management advise they are fixing the lights near the Manly Wharf Hotel.

Act ion: Reports of graffit i around the skiff ramp and Marine Parade.

Please report to police and Council. They have a database of tags. Do we still have a graffit i control mechanism?

Council response: This has been logged by Council staff.

The graffit i removal process:

https://www.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au/services/customer-

services/graffit i

Go to the graffit i removal form to log a request.

Act ion: The issue of dogs at Marine Parade pool has previously been raised as a concern.

Council needs to review the signage as it is not clear.

Council response: Executive Manager Parks & Recreation advises that his team will check the signs.

As is in the dog policy, the intent is dogs will be prohibited from the pool enclosure.

Advice f rom Council?s Execut ive Manager ? Proper t y The refurbishment of the Rialto Square toilets is complete.

The works are a refresh, not a total renovation.

Works include the replacement of all the dividers and doors, the tap ware, installation of new mirrors, some of the toilets were replaced as required, the entry doors were painted and the toilets were given a thorough clean.

The team is also going to do a minor refresh to the mothers? room next door. They are awaiting the delivery of some additional furniture before tidying the mothers' room up.

Police and Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) apparently say that there are no statistics to support additional safeguards and Council has previously advised MCF that RMS says that ?timing? lights are not available or not suitable at this site.

Many residents are very aware of the danger, but it is a heavy visitor traffic area.

Residents point to many locations in Australia and overseas where crossings like this are safer because of timing lights and other safeguards.

Traffic Management at Council to urgently review the situation.

Council response: RMS Manager Network Safety Services has advised Council that the countdown timers on the signals at this location are not suitable due to the following reasons: pedestrian countdown timers are intended for the control of pedestrian traffic or movements only, and shall only be used on traffic intersections where an exclusive pedestrian phase is active and no conflicting vehicle phases are active.

This essentially restricts their use to mid-block pedestrian crossings and/or sites that run exclusive pedestrian phases.

The intersection of Belgrave Street and East Esplanade/West Esplanade does not operate this way, running concurrent pedestrian and motorist movements together.

· The traffic signals runs multiple phases (upwards of 6) to allow for all the movements to run which predicates the concurrent pedestrian and vehicular movements, in order to efficiently move all road users through this location.

· Pedestrian countdown timers are also only used where there is a fixed pedestrian clearance period. They shall not be used at sites with variable pedestrian clearance periods, as this can introduce a safety risk.

Act ion: Lighting along the pedestrian access to the east at Manly Wharf.

Lights have been out beside the Manly Wharf Hotel for some time. Council to follow up/and/or liaise with wharf management.

ACTION REQUESTS CONTINUED... ACTION REQUESTS CONTINUED...

JULY 2019 PAGE 4

Our recently re-elected Local Member James Griffin will discuss the suggested topics below then be available for a brief Q & A.

· Progress on the Western Harbour Tunnel & Beaches Link.

· Expected completion date for Frenchs Forest road works.

· Impact of the Northern Beaches Hospital's changed ownership.

· State planning laws as they impact Strata complexes.

· Concerns with boarding house development in this area.

· Density concerns across Manly and potential impact on development.

· North Head Sewage Treatment Plant - future improvements.

· Reuse of the Manly Hospital site (other than the youth hospice).

· Improvements to Manly Wharf area, particularly public toilets.

· Rapid transport from Chatswood to Dee Why.

· More detail on the future use of the Freshwater class ferries.

· Jason Falinski's current media attention on light rail to the Northern Beaches.

MANLY HOSPITAL SITE

Email all correspondence to secretary@manlycommunityforum.com & mathose@bigpond.net.au

Minutes of the Monthly Meet ing are posted on our website manlycommunityforum.com

Online Communicat ions: If you?d like to receive this newsletter and other Manly Community Forum correspondence by email, please email secretary@manlycommunityforum.com or follow the Manly Community Forum facebook page.

GUEST SPEAKER JAMES GRIFFIN

This iconic site was owned and managed by NSW Health/Infrastructure. We have been assured by the NSW Government and received continual reassurances from our Local Member that the site will be retained for community and not sold for residential. Despite this we have been a litt le critical of the delay in acceptance of the need for additional community health services. This area (Manly) has lost most of its aged care facilit ies and rehabilitation is hard to come by. Other services that were part of the Manly Hospital service are now dependent upon the Northern Beaches Hospital, but not always easily accessed or obtained by Manly residents. In a new development the NSW Government has now handed responsibility for the site redevelopment to NSW Property Management. Initially this did create concern, but a renewal of effort, a long overdue meeting of all interested parties and a confirmation that this Government department has a good track record in redevelopment of iconic community sites has reassured the community leaders, NBC Executive and our hard working Local Member, that we are back on track.

Suggested services that could be provided on this site are: residential mental health ?step up step down? facilit ies; residential care facilit ies for younger people with disabilit ies and chronic illness; broader rehabilitation services (drug and alcohol, obesity, diabetes, mental health, homelessness); respite for people living with dementia; affordable residential aged care (short-term); education, training and research facilit ies (health and wellness related); open public spaces; carer respite; social housing; office for community-based service providers.

MANLY COMMUNITY FORUM CONTACT DETAILS