As we close out the year, I take the opportunity to say thank you to all those who have participated, supported and contributed to the Manly Community Forum over 2022.

In person meetings recommenced in May, after a year or so of zoom meetings and it was great to see so many return to the Manly Yacht Club for our monthly meetings. Firstly, tribute to Ray Mathieson, the long-standing chair who passed away from a brain tumour earlier this year. As part of the final landscaping works at Little Manly we will install a picnic table and shelter dedicated to Ray and his contribution to our Manly community. Our thoughts are with Ray’s family, especially Anne this Christmas.

Thanks to the executive team, Kandy, our redoubtable Secretary, Doug and Lee, Treasurer and newsletter distribution coordinator and his delivery team, and to Kellie for managing the website, Kate and Janne for standing up when others were on holidays or finished their stint as a team member. Thanks also to Marisa for her years of work on the newsletter, we managed to survive when she handed over the reins of the Canva software for publishing. Thanks to our local Federal MP, Zali Steggall, State Member for Manly & Minister for the Environment & Heritage, James Griffin and Councillors Sarah Gratton, Candy Bingham and Georgia Ryburn. All took time out of their busy schedules to attend various meetings and provide their take on local issues and activities throughout the year and we look forward to seeing them again in 2023.

Senior Council staff have also been available and candid at our meetings, consulting and providing updates on all manner of projects and Council related activities. The Little Manly park playground was completed and is now enjoyed by all. Hopefully the toilets will appear next year. We wait for the completion of works and the sand to be sifted in search of human bones at Little Manly and the settling in of the new Ripples café now that they have finished their renovations and survived the challenges of COVID, weather, construction and changing customer expectations. It’s a pity that they have to suffer from break ins and hooligan behaviour late at night. Stealing all the iceblocks does not make it easy for staff the next morning explaining to little ones why there were no iceblocks at the beach! But on the upside the new path around the outside of the café is a particularly welcome addition to the area.

The Transport Staff were also responsive to our requests on improving traffic and pedestrian conditions on the Eastern Hill, particularly Darley Rd. They are now collecting data over the busy holiday months and will prepare a plan for discussion and implementation in the first half of next year. Sensors will be installed to monitor parking activity on both sides of the Hill, Shelly Beach and at Little Manly Point. We have new pedestrian crossings and the old ones will be repainted shortly.

Apart from speeding traffic and parking the other main topic of correspondence to our email address was regarding dogs on beaches, especially the rock platform at Fairy Bower. Council is now working with the Department of Fisheries to resolve this and will revisit the policies to clarify where dogs are permitted. In the meantime thanks for respecting the signs and keeping dogs off the beaches.

We look forward to the removal of the parklet in Darley Rd and the resulting unblocking of the drain and disappearance of the large, unseemly dirty puddle there. The parklets on the north east corner of the Corso and the entrance to the Whistler St carpark will remain.

Finally huge thanks to our advertisers. Please support them as they support us to keep the forum afloat and the newsletters printed.