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.
Two talented Year 12 students from the Northern Beaches have been named joint winners of this year’s Theo Batten Youth Art Award, sharing a prize pool of $5,000 to support their future tertiary arts education.
Jennifer Choi from NBSC Manly Campus and Arta Dehghan from Killarney Heights High School each received $2,000 for their exceptional works displayed in the Out Front 2026 exhibition at Manly Art Gallery & Museum.
Choi’s winning piece, titled Virtual Daydreams, is an acrylic painting on canvas, whilst Dehghan was recognised for Facades, a graphite pencil drawing.
The awards were presented as part of the annual exhibition showcasing HSC Visual Arts works from 21 local secondary schools across Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
St Luke’s Grammar School student Olivia Sammut received a Highly Commended award and $1,000 for her work Homesick: A Severance, created using oil paint and oil pastel on canvas.
Local artist Amber Boardman, who served as judge for this year’s awards, selected the winners from ten remarkable artworks featured in the exhibition.
In her comments, Boardman explained her selection was based on works that demonstrated both technical skill and an unexpected element that went beyond technique.
She described Dehghan’s Facades as creating “strange cavernous spaces within three small graphite drawings”, whilst Choi’s Virtual Daydreams was praised for its composition with bright tones that captured “the overwhelm of our shared digital lives”.
Northern Beaches Mayor Sue Heins congratulated the winners and acknowledged the high standard of work on display.
The Out Front 2026 exhibition features 25 works from HSC Visual Arts students and will remain on display at Manly Art Gallery & Museum until 5 April 2025.
Visitors to the gallery can also participate by voting for their favourite artwork in the KALOF People’s Choice Award.
The Theo Batten Youth Art Award honours the legacy of former local artist and journalist Theo Batten (1918-2003), who was a Walkley Award winner and active supporter of the arts community. The award was established to help young artists further their creative education.
The exhibition is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm, with free entry. The gallery is located at West Esplanade Reserve, Manly.
A nearly 170-year-old sandstone kangaroo statue overlooking the seaside suburb of Manly has been badly damaged by vandals, leaving the landmark without its head and much of its upper body and prompting renewed local discussion about protecting heritage items in public spaces.
The damage was discovered over the weekend, 15 February, when locals reported the statue’s head had been pushed or hacked off and parts of its torso broken apart. Fragments of the historic carving were later found scattered along nearby Kangaroo Street.
Community Reaction and Response
The sandstone figure, which stands about two metres tall on a hill overlooking Manly Beach, has been part of the suburb’s landscape since the mid-1800s. The statue was commissioned by property developer Henry Gilbert Smith, often credited with playing a major role in Manly’s early development. Local historical records say the work is credited to photographer Charles Percy Pickering and stonemason Thomas Youll.
A descendant of Mr Pickering was distressed after visiting the site and seeing the damage. Earlier, there were observations that the kangaroo’s head appeared to have been turned in recent months.
Northern Beaches Council staff inspected the site and sought specialist advice on whether it can be repaired. Mayor Sue Heins said they have engaged specialists to advise whether the historic sculpture could be restored. The matter was reported to the police.
Local sources commonly describe the site as a popular lookout used by locals and visitors, offering sweeping views of the coastline. Local reporting has described it as a regular meeting place for people watching sunrises.
The Northern Beaches Council’s Recollect local studies archive records the sculpture as a notable Manly landmark. A council-era public art listing also includes the stone kangaroo among Manly’s outdoor artworks.
Donnie Sellin, a cherished figure across northern beaches sport for more than five decades, has passed away at age 81, leaving the Manly Warringah District Cricket Club at Manly Oval and Warringah Rats Rugby Club deeply saddened by the loss of one of their most dedicated volunteers.
Known affectionately as “Dollars,” Sellin dedicated his life to two of the region’s biggest sporting organizations while working for approximately 40 years at the Dee Why Post Office. His passion, loyalty and colourful personality made him an institution at Manly Oval on the corner of Sydney Road and Belgrave Street, the recreational showpiece of the northern beaches.
The cricket club hailed “Dollars” as an immense part of their community for more than five decades. A Life Member who touched the lives of countless players, he was a permanent fixture as net captain and a mainstay in the scorer’s box, not just for third and fifth grade, but across every level of the pathway over the years. His presence at Manly Oval, the recreational showpiece of the Northern Beaches, was as much a part of the landscape as the Norfolk Pines themselves.
From Manly Oval to Rat Park
Sellin’s sporting dedication extended beyond cricket to Warringah Rats Rugby Club, where he served as official timekeeper and scorer from the late 1960s through to 2002. Each year, as soon as cricket season wrapped up at Manly Oval, Sellin would appear at Pittwater Rugby Park in Warriewood the following weekend, ready to resume his timekeeping duties.
He attended every Rats game from fourth grade through first grade, both home ad away, becoming part of the fabric of the club despite never lacing up football boots. His commitment to rugby earned him recognition when the Australian Rugby Union invited him to be official timekeeper for a Wallabies match in the late 1980s
A Life Dedicated to Northern Beaches Sport
Sellin worked for approximately 40 years at the Dee Why Post Office while devoting his free time to supporting sport across the northern beaches. His passion, loyalty and colourful personality made him a popular figure among players, officials and supporters at both Manly Oval and Rat Park.
Colleagues and friends remember Sellin for his banter and willingness to share frank opinions about team performance. He particularly enjoyed recalling every minute of Warringah’s first grand final against Randwick, passionately arguing why the Rats should have won.
Community Farewell
Ill health in recent years prevented Sellin from joining his mates for beers at either club, forcing him to rely on phone calls to keep up with news from Manly Oval and Rat Park. Despite stepping back from active involvement, he remained connected to the sporting communities he had served for so long.
A celebration of Donnie Sellin’s life will be held at Manly Bowling Club, overlooking his beloved Manly Oval, on Friday, February 27, from 4pm. A formal RSVP is not required, with both sporting communities expected to gather in tribute to a man who exemplified volunteer spirit and dedication to northern beaches sport.
The resident of Iluka Avenue contacted NSW Police shortly before 5.30pm on Tuesday, 10 February, after finding several small resealable plastic bags containing a white powder in their mailbox.
Officers from Northern Beaches Police Area Command responded to the address and seized the suspicious package, which consisted of multiple small bags contained within a larger resealable plastic bag.
Laboratory testing has since confirmed the substance was cocaine.
Police believe the drugs were either intended for a different recipient or had been ditched by someone attempting to avoid detection. Authorities have not yet determined how the package ended up in the letterbox.
The quantity of cocaine discovered is considered an indictable amount under NSW law. According to the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985, possession of an indictable quantity of cocaine can result in penalties of up to 15 years’ imprisonment and fines reaching $220,000 if prosecuted in the District Court.
Northern Beaches detectives have launched an investigation into the incident and are appealing for information from the public.
Anyone with details about the source of the package is urged to contact Manly Police Station on 02 9976 8099 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Information provided to Crime Stoppers can be given anonymously.
Passengers using the free Hop, Skip and Jump bus in Manly are now required to wear clothing over swimwear, with drivers permitted to refuse entry to those boarding shirtless or in bikinis.
The Hop, Skip and Jump community bus, funded and operated by NBC, operates around Manly and nearby suburbs including Fairlight and Balgowlah. The circular route connects key local stops such as Balgowlah Village shopping centre, Manly Wharf and beach areas including Manly Cove and Little Manly Beach.
New signage has been installed near Little Manly Beach advising passengers to dress appropriately and wear clothing over swimwear while travelling on the service.
The service operates as an accredited regular passenger service under the Passenger Transport (General) Regulation 2017.
Under the regulation, a driver may refuse to carry a passenger if their behaviour, condition or clothing is likely to dirty or damage the vehicle, or cause inconvenience to other passengers or the driver. The NBC has indicated this may include wet or sandy clothing that affects cleanliness in the shared transport environment. Drivers may also refuse entry if the bus becomes overcrowded.
Complaints About Hygiene And Comfort
The change follows complaints from passengers about hygiene and comfort on the 30-seat buses. Concerns included wet swimwear and sand leaving seats damp or dirty after beach trips.
Feedback from some older passengers also referenced discomfort with swimwear styles in the confined bus setting.
The existing published Service Code of Conduct for the Hop, Skip and Jump bus outlines behavioural expectations, including no eating, drinking or smoking, and restrictions on large objects when the bus is full. The clothing-over-swimwear requirement is not yet listed in the published code.
The decision has prompted mixed reactions online. Some commenters supported the measure on hygiene grounds, citing concerns about wet or sandy seats.
Others questioned where the line should be drawn, noting that beachwear is common in coastal suburbs such as Manly and raising broader discussion about appropriate attire on public transport.
