A police pursuit that began in North Manly escalated across the Northern Beaches before ending in a high-speed crash at St Ives, leaving two people in hospital and a man facing multiple charges.
The incident began when officers responded to a reported break-in at Queenscliff and were provided with details of two occupants and a vehicle. Shortly after, a vehicle matching that description was identified on Pittwater Road in North Manly.
Police attempted to stop the vehicle, however the driver allegedly failed to comply, prompting a pursuit through several major routes. The vehicle travelled along Pittwater Road, Warringah Road and Wakehurst Parkway before continuing toward Mona Vale.
As the situation developed, the pursuit was terminated due to safety concerns. Despite this, the vehicle continued along Mona Vale Road, where it was seen at various points travelling on the wrong side of the road.
Photo Credit: Pexels
High-Speed Crash At St Ives
The incident reached a critical point near St Ives, where the vehicle collided with an unmarked police car before leaving the roadway. Travelling at high speed, the vehicle then crashed head-on into a tree just past the St Ives Showground area.
Emergency services responded quickly, with multiple crews arriving to assist. The two occupants, both aged 33, were removed from the damaged vehicle and treated at the scene before being transported to Royal North Shore Hospital in stable condition. Police confirmed airbags had deployed and both occupants were wearing seatbelts.
No police officers were reported injured during the incident.
After being discharged from hospital on Sunday, 5 April 2026, the male driver was taken to Chatswood Police Station, where he was formally charged with multiple offences.
These include failing to stop during a police pursuit, dangerous driving, operating a vehicle with an expired licence, and possession of suspected stolen goods. The vehicle involved is believed to have been stolen and fitted with number plates that did not match.
The man was refused bail and is scheduled to appear before court on Monday, 6 April 2026. Further charges are expected as investigations continue, including pending results from mandatory testing and ongoing inquiries.
The female passenger remains in hospital and has not been charged.
Community Response To North Manly Incident
Comments posted online reflected concern about the risks posed to the public during the pursuit. Some also referred to a visible police presence and localised disruption along parts of the route.
Manly’s Ben Tudhope has built a Winter Paralympic career across four Games, from a record-setting teenage debut at Sochi to two more medals at Milano Cortina 2026.
Ben Tudhope’s Winter Paralympic story has grown from an extraordinary teenage debut into one of Australia’s most enduring para snowboarding careers.
The Manly athlete added two more medals at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics, winning silver in snowboard cross SB-LL2 and bronze in banked slalom SB-LL2. Those results followed his bronze medal in snowboard cross SB-LL2 at Beijing 2022, where he also co-captained the Australian team.
For Tudhope, Milano Cortina marked another major stage in a career that has already stretched across Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022. His record now shows repeated selection, multiple Paralympic medals and a steady place among Australia’s winter sport competitors.
Tudhope first entered the Winter Paralympics at Sochi in 2014, just three months after turning 14. His selection made him Australia’s youngest ever Winter Paralympian, and he was also the youngest competitor from any country at those Games.
He competes in para snowboarding across snowboard cross and banked slalom in the SB-LL2 classification. His impairment is listed as a physical impairment, left hemiplegic cerebral palsy.
That early entry into elite competition became the foundation for a career shaped by persistence and progression. After Sochi, Tudhope returned at PyeongChang 2018, then reached the podium at Beijing 2022 before adding further medals at Milano Cortina 2026.
From Early Promise To International Podiums
Tudhope’s record extends beyond the Paralympic Games. His career highlights include a third-place finish in the men’s snowboard cross adaptive event at the 2016 Winter X Games in Colorado and winning the overall IPC Crystal Globe in 2020.
He has also recorded world championship results across snowboard cross and banked slalom events, including gold in snowboard cross at the 2023 World Para Snowboard Championships in La Molina and bronze in snowboard cross at the 2025 World Para Snowboard Championships at Big White.
Those results add depth to a career that has continued well beyond the impact of a single Games. From his teenage introduction on the Paralympic stage to his later medals, Tudhope has remained part of Australia’s winter program through more than a decade of competition.
Photo Credit: Australian Paralympic Team/YouTube
Manly Recognition For A Winter Paralympian
Tudhope appears on the Manly Pathway of Olympians and Paralympians, which features more than 100 local athletes along East and West Esplanade.
That local recognition places his Paralympic career within a broader Northern Beaches sporting tradition, while his latest results add fresh weight to his record.
Tudhope’s story is now linked to four Winter Paralympic campaigns, medals at Beijing and Milano Cortina, and a career that began before he was old enough to drive. His latest podium finishes do not stand alone; they form part of a long-running progression from young debutant to multi-medal Winter Paralympian.
Ever walked out of Hotel Steyne in Manly and realised something was missing? Police are now sorting through hundreds of cards, wallets and phones left behind over several years.
More than 400 bank cards, 43 wallets and 13 mobile phones left behind at Hotel Steyne have been handed to police, revealing just how many people walk away from the busy beachfront venue without their valuables.
Police confirmed the items were collected by the pub over the past two to three years before being delivered in bulk to officers earlier this week.
Police begin search for owners
Officers from the Northern Beaches Police Area Command are now working through the large collection of lost property, trying to identify and contact the rightful owners. Authorities said many of the items contain identification, including driver licences and cards that have already expired, showing how long some have been unclaimed.
Police are contacting people through letters and text messages where details are available. Some items belong to people who live outside the Northern Beaches, including interstate residents and overseas visitors, which adds to the challenge of returning them.
Officials also noted that only a small amount of cash, around $40, was found across all the wallets.
Police believe many of the items were accidentally dropped or forgotten during visits to the busy venue. Wallets may have slipped from pockets or bags, while cards could have been left on the bar after payments for food or drinks.
Community urged to check for missing property
Authorities have asked anyone who visited the hotel in recent years and may have lost personal belongings to come forward. Police say filing a lost property report through the NSW Police online portal will improve the chances of recovering items.
So far, only a few people have come forward to claim their belongings, despite the large number of items now in police custody.
Police say the process of matching items with owners will take time, particularly where contact details are missing or outdated.
Manly residents are pushing back against a plan that could allow pubs, bars and restaurants to trade later and operate under looser noise limits, raising concerns that thousands of locals may be forced to shut windows or upgrade their homes just to get a good night’s sleep.
The proposal centres on an 18-month Special Entertainment Precinct (SEP) trial put forward in the Northern Beaches, with consultation held from February to March 2026 and a decision expected later this year.
Community Concerns Over Noise and Sleep
The trial would apply to parts of Manly’s CBD, where about 8,000 residents live near existing venues. Under the SEP model, businesses could stay open up to two hours longer on nights with live music and one hour longer on other nights. The plan also introduces a new sound management framework that may allow higher external noise levels than current rules.
Some residents say these changes could affect sleep and daily life. Community group Manly Community Forum has raised concerns that the proposed outdoor noise levels could reach around 70 decibels, which may still be heard indoors even with windows closed. The group has pointed to global health guidance suggesting much lower sound levels for restful sleep.
Northern Beaches Council has said the proposal is part of a broader effort to support local businesses and encourage a more active night-time economy. The SEP framework is designed to make it easier for venues to host live music and operate later under a clear set of rules.
The trial would include a precinct management plan, which sets trading hours, sound limits and a process for handling complaints. Council has said it is working to balance the needs of residents with the benefits of a more active evening economy.
More than 300 submissions were received during the public consultation period, showing strong community interest in the proposal.
Business Operators Back Extended Trading
Some local hospitality operators have supported the plan, saying Manly is already a well-known destination for dining and entertainment. They argue that allowing venues to trade later would help businesses remain viable and attract more visitors, especially for live music and cultural events.
Supporters also note that the SEP system provides a structured way to manage noise and trading hours across a defined area, rather than relying on separate rules for each venue.
State Policy Driving Night-Time Changes
The Manly proposal is part of wider reforms in NSW aimed at supporting live music and nightlife. These changes include incentives for venues and extended trading allowances within designated entertainment precincts.
Under the policy, Councils can set consistent rules across a precinct, which may override some existing venue-specific restrictions. This has raised concern among some residents, who fear it could reduce their ability to challenge noise on a case-by-case basis.
A masterplan for upgrading Marine Parade, the 140-year-old coastal walk that winds around Cabbage Tree Bay from Manly to Shelly Beach, is set to be included in the draft Delivery Plan for Northern Beaches’ next financial year, after five years of planning and a failed attempt to secure a co-contribution from Sydney Water.
The 1.5-kilometre promenade, which attracts around one million visitors each year, has faced repeated storm damage over its long history, with powerful surges and high winds ripping up concrete slabs and forcing temporary closures. The planned masterplan would address both the aesthetic condition of the walk and its structural resilience against storm events and tidal damage. It would also better protect a major sewer main that runs beneath the promenade and behind the seawall, infrastructure that has complicated efforts to improve the path given its ownership by Sydney Water.
The walkway was first completed in 1891. The Daily Telegraph reported at the time that Manly had secured one of the most beautiful promenades to be found in the environs of the metropolis. More than 130 years later, the path remains one of Sydney’s most visited coastal routes, and the case for a comprehensive upgrade has been building steadily as storm damage has accumulated and the original infrastructure has aged.
Photo Credit: Northern Beaches Library
Five Years in the Making
The push for a masterplan has been a long one. Since 2021, the authority responsible for the walk has repeatedly sought a financial contribution of at least $50,000 from Sydney Water toward the cost of drawing up the masterplan, given the utility’s significant infrastructure interests beneath the path. Sydney Water declined the request, advising that the project was not a priority and that it was unable to provide a financial contribution.
With that avenue exhausted, the decision has been made to proceed independently and include the Marine Parade improvements in the next draft Delivery Plan. A staff report has also been requested on the potential financial implications of the masterplan, ensuring the full scope and cost of the project is understood before commitments are made.
What an Upgrade Could Include
While the masterplan itself has not yet been drawn up, the broad goals for the upgrade cover three interconnected areas. Structural reinforcement to protect the path from future storm damage is the primary focus, given the walk’s history of closures following surge events. Better protection of the sewer main running beneath the promenade is also a priority. Beyond those structural concerns, the masterplan is expected to address the visual and amenity condition of the walk, beautifying a promenade that has served visitors and locals for well over a century but whose surface and fittings reflect that age.
The coastal environment along Cabbage Tree Bay is ecologically significant as well as scenic. The bay is a designated aquatic reserve, home to grey nurse sharks, wobbegong sharks, eagle rays, blue groper and an abundance of marine life that draws snorkellers and divers from across Sydney. Any masterplan for the promenade will need to account for that environmental context, ensuring that improvement works do not disturb the bay’s protected status.
Why This Matters to the Manly Community
For Manly residents, Marine Parade is not just a tourist attraction. It is a daily walking route, a morning run circuit, a place to take visiting family and a pathway that connects the main beach to the quieter, rockier world of Shelly Beach. One million visits a year on a 1.5-kilometre stretch of path gives some measure of how intensively it is used, and every closure following storm damage is a disruption felt across the local community as well as by visitors.
The age of the promenade, built in an era before the sea-level and storm intensity projections that now shape coastal infrastructure design, means that incremental repairs are no longer sufficient. A masterplan that thinks about the walk as a whole, addressing its structural vulnerabilities, its environmental obligations and its role as one of Sydney’s great public spaces, is the right response to what has been a slow accumulation of damage and deferred maintenance.
More information on the draft Delivery Plan and the Marine Parade upgrade will be available at northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au as the planning process progresses.
A proposal to redevelop Manly Town Hall into a multi-use entertainment and arts venue is set to return for debate, with an expression of interest process identified as the next step in Manly.
Discussion on the proposal did not conclude at the meeting held on 17 March 2026 and has been deferred to the April meeting, where further consideration is expected.
A report prepared following a July 2025 resolution recommends progressing to an expression of interest process if the proposal moves forward. This step would invite potential operators to submit concepts for a viable redevelopment.
Manly Town Hall Plan Revisited
A renewed proposal aims to convert Manly Town Hall into a venue for live music, theatre, exhibitions and hospitality. The next stage would involve inviting expressions of interest to explore commercially viable options while retaining public ownership of the heritage-listed building.
The site, which opened in 1937, is currently used as office space and a customer service centre.
Earlier Study Identified Financial Constraints
Previous planning efforts encountered setbacks following a feasibility study completed in May 2024. The study examined the potential to repurpose the building into a performance and exhibition venue.
Findings showed that relocating about 100 staff would cost an estimated $1.4 million in fit-out expenses, along with approximately $320,000 in rent if alternative council-owned buildings were unavailable.
Operating costs were also projected to exceed revenue, leaving little chance of commercial return on investment.
Concept plans for Manly Town Hall include a multi-use facility with performance spaces, theatre areas and a smaller cinema or theatrette.
Additional features outlined in earlier proposals include an intimate music venue, hospitality areas such as a restaurant, bar and café, and flexible community spaces. A rooftop bar has also been included as part of the design concepts.
Community Feedback In Manly
Consultation conducted in 2021 indicated that a majority of respondents supported converting the town hall into a theatre or multi-use entertainment venue.
Public comments observed ahead of the vote have also pointed to interest in a venue that can host performances, events and broader community activities.
Health authorities have identified several popular Manly venues as potential measles exposure sites, urging patrons who visited during specific times to monitor for symptoms.
NSW Health has expanded its measles outbreak warnings to include the Northern Beaches, with three Manly hospitality venues among the locations where an infectious person was present in early March.
Felons Brewing Co. at Manly Wharf was visited by a confirmed case between 6.30pm and 8.00pm on Thursday, 5 March. Two venues were also flagged for Sunday, 8 March: Donny’s Bar on Market Lane from 3.00pm to 5.00pm, and Henry G’s Wine Parlour on The Corso between 4.30pm and 7.00pm. JB & Sons Restaurant on Sydney Road was also listed for that evening, from 7.00pm to 8.40pm.
Transport routes have also been affected, with a bus travelling from Manly Wharf to Northern Beaches Hospital on the evening of 5 March identified as an exposure location.
The health warning comes as authorities confirm a shift in transmission patterns. While earlier cases this year were linked to overseas travel, recent infections are believed to have spread locally within the community.
Dr Stephen Conaty, director of the South Western Sydney Local Health District Public Health Unit, said anyone who attended the listed venues during the specified times should remain vigilant for symptoms until the dates indicated in the health alert.
Measles typically begins with fever, sore eyes, runny nose and cough, followed three to four days later by a distinctive red, blotchy rash that starts on the face and spreads across the body. Symptoms can take up to 18 days to appear following exposure.
Health authorities are stressing the importance of vaccination, particularly for anyone born after 1965, who should ensure they have received two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. The vaccine can prevent infection even after exposure if administered early enough.
The MMR vaccine is provided free for children at 12 and 18 months of age, and remains free in NSW for anyone born after 1965 who has not yet had two doses. It is available through GPs for all ages and from pharmacies for those over five years.
NSW Health has confirmed 60 measles cases so far this year, with roughly equal numbers acquired locally and overseas, predominantly from south-east Asia.
Anyone experiencing symptoms or with concerns about potential exposure is advised to contact their GP or Healthdirect on 1800 022 222. Those seeking medical attention should phone ahead to alert staff of possible measles exposure to avoid waiting in public areas with other patients.
A full list of exposure locations and monitoring periods is maintained on the NSW Health website.
The Northern Beaches Council has formalised the end of 1080 poison use on council-managed land, including Manly and other areas in the Northern Beaches. The banned poison, which has no known antidote, hasn’t been used for pest control since 2023 but was previously relied on to control wild dogs, foxes and other invasive species.
Sodium fluoroacetate, commonly known as 1080, has previously been used to control invasive fox populations in parts of the Northern Beaches.
In 2015, a major fox attack in Manly significantly affected the area’s endangered little penguin population, bringing attention to the challenges of managing invasive predators in the region.
Information published on the issue states the poison affects an animal’s central nervous system once ingested. Death may occur between five and 48 hours after a lethal amount is consumed.
Records show the toxin had been deployed in previous years across multiple bushland sites in the Northern Beaches, including operations documented in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2023.
Material discussed during the decision-making process noted that other pest control techniques are already used by staff.
These include shooting, trapping and den fumigation, which target specific animals rather than relying on baiting programs.
Lethal to Pets
The issue gained renewed attention in January 2026 after a dog died from ingesting 1080 bait on nearby land managed by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).
The incident prompted renewed discussion about the use of the toxin on council-managed land across the Northern Beaches.
Community campaign groups also reported significant public engagement before the vote, including thousands of emails sent ahead of the decision.
Photo Credit: Coalition Against 1080 Poison
Scope Of The Ban
The decision applies to land managed by NBC, which includes parks, reserves and other public areas connected to Manly.
However, the poison remains permitted on land managed by other authorities under state law.
Areas such as Sydney Harbour National Park in Manly, North Head, and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park can still use 1080 as part of pest management programs.
Information cited during the debate indicated there are 178 active 1080 programs operated by NPWS across New South Wales.
The decision means 1080 will no longer be used in council operations on council-managed land across the Northern Beaches, including locations connected to Manly.
A well-known takeaway near Manly’s Queenscliff Beach has announced it will close after more than two decades in business, marking the end of a long-running local burger shop.
Salty Rooster, located on Collingwood Avenue in Queenscliff near Manly, confirmed its final day of trade will be Sunday, 8 March 2026.
The announcement was shared through a public post and a notice placed at the shop. The message explained the closure would occur after more than 20 years of operation and noted that circumstances outside the operators’ control had led to the decision.
Customers were encouraged to visit the shop during its final week to purchase a last meal and farewell the business.
Business Began In Narrabeen In 2005
Salty Rooster first opened in Narrabeen in 2005, specialising in chicken burgers before later operating its Queenscliff site opposite Queenscliff Beach near Manly.
Over time the takeaway became a familiar stop for local surfers, teenagers and school students in the area. Students from nearby Stella Maris Secondary College were also among regular customers.
The business was known for employing local high school and university students in part-time roles and supporting community activities including amateur sporting teams and surfing events.
The business was established by Jimmy Sagiotis, who died in October 2023 at the age of 48.
After his death, family members continued operating the shop in an effort to maintain the business he created. Public messages shared by the operators said continuing the business had been challenging but efforts had been made to carry on the legacy he left behind.
Mr Sagiotis had earlier experienced personal tragedy when his wife died suddenly in 2017, leaving two young sons. Following that loss he established a charitable foundation known as Things To Do With Kidz, which supported families dealing with grief and hardship.
Online responses to the closure announcement described the takeaway as an important part of Northern Beaches life.
Former employees and customers shared memories of working at the shop or visiting it regularly during school years, reflecting its long connection with the community around Manly and Queenscliff.
The closure also comes about seven months after another Manly burger outlet, BenBry Burgers, shut its doors for financial reasons.
Final Days For Salty Rooster
Salty Rooster said its last day of trade will be Sunday, 8 March 2026, bringing to a close more than two decades of operation between Narrabeen and Queenscliff.
Manly is moving closer to establishing itself as a Special Entertainment Precinct of Sydney, with community feedback now being formally sought on an 18-month trial of extended trading hours, live music provisions and tailored noise management along the iconic Corso.
The trial, backed by $173,760 in Kickstart Grant funding, is scheduled to begin in spring 2026. It will allow businesses to trade until midnight early in the week and 2am from Thursday to Saturday, with venues offering at least 45 minutes of live performance eligible for further incentives. For the hospitality operators, musicians and late-night venues that have long argued Manly’s after-dark potential has been squandered by inflexible planning rules, the trial represents the most concrete opportunity in years to reshape what the suburb looks like after sunset.
What the Entertainment Precinct Trial Will Deliver
The Special Entertainment Precinct framework, introduced as part of broader NSW vibrancy reforms, allows local authorities to set unified trading hours and sound criteria across a defined area through a single Precinct Management Plan. That plan overrides existing conditions on development consents and liquor licences within the zone, removing the expensive and time-consuming process individual venues have traditionally faced when seeking to extend their hours or add live music. A bookshop wanting to stay open until midnight, a cafe wanting to host a jazz trio, and a bar wanting to run late-night sets all benefit equally without separate approvals.
Photo Credit: NSW authorities
Acoustic testing is currently underway to guide the development of the Precinct Management Plan, which will set clear sound criteria appropriate to Manly’s coastal context and the mix of residential and commercial properties along the Corso. Sound management for licensed venues within the precinct falls to Liquor and Gaming NSW, while unlicensed venues sit under the authority responsible for the precinct. A clear, streamlined complaints process will sit alongside those arrangements so residents have confidence that extended trading and live music come with genuine accountability.
The proposed entertainment precinct boundary covers blocks where licensed venues are already concentrated, deliberately avoiding areas that are predominantly residential. Properties within the precinct boundary are shaded on the consultation map available on the Your Say Northern Beaches platform.
Why Manly Is a Natural Fit
Manly already carries significant weight as a night-time destination. Twenty-seven per cent of all jobs in the suburb connect to the 24-hour economy, a proportion that reflects how deeply hospitality, entertainment and tourism already underpin the area’s economic identity. During the Manly Place Plan consultation in 2024, community feedback was consistent: Manly’s nightlife needs a broader variety of activities. Residents and visitors called specifically for more family-friendly late options, outdoor dining, live music, busking, markets and cultural programming, not just bars and clubs.
The suburb’s history supports the ambition. Manly venues were part of the fabric of Australian live music for decades, and the Corso once drew crowds who came specifically to see and be seen after dark. That energy faded alongside tightening trading restrictions and a shift towards residential development along the waterfront. The entertainment precinct trial is designed to revive it, and this time with the planning framework built to last.
Prominent local hospitality operator Matt Clifton, whose Saga Group runs InSitu, The Cumberland, Donny’s Bar and Henry G’s across Manly, has backed the entertainment precinct concept and frames the challenge clearly: cafes and restaurants trading into the early hours is entirely reasonable for a precinct of this kind, provided noise mitigation measures accompany any higher-impact activity. Finding that workable balance between residents and businesses, he argues, is both achievable and necessary.
Part of a Broader Sydney Revival
Manly is one of 20 areas across NSW now moving towards Special Entertainment Precinct status, joining Cronulla, Rozelle, Marrickville, Fairfield and others in a state-wide push to rebuild night-time economies neighbourhood by neighbourhood. Sydney’s broader night-time economy is valued at $110 billion annually, and the vibrancy reforms driving the Special Entertainment Precinct model have already drawn more than 521 venues across NSW into extended trading hour arrangements for live music programming. The abolition of Sydney’s remaining lockout laws in January 2026 removed the final structural barrier that had suppressed inner-city and suburban nightlife for more than a decade, creating the most favourable conditions for live music and late-night hospitality in years.
Future home buyers and tenants who purchase or rent within the precinct boundary will receive notification that they are entering a designated nightlife zone, an approach designed to prevent the pattern of residents moving into entertainment areas and then objecting to the very activity that defined the area before they arrived.
Have Your Say Before the Trial Begins
Community feedback on the proposed entertainment precinct boundary and Precinct Management Plan is open now. Residents, business owners, venue operators, musicians and performers are all encouraged to contribute, with the feedback directly shaping the sound criteria and maximum trading hours that will govern the trial. After 12 months of operation, the community will be consulted again on whether the entertainment precinct should become permanent.
