I am extremely proud to share that our very own Belrose Children's Centre is one of only 29 early learning centres nationally to be awarded the highest possible quality rating – ‘excellent’.

Given there are over 17,000 centres across Australia this is an incredible accolade and squarely positions them as one of the best centres in the country.

It’s testament to the incredible commitment of the educators and their dedication to providing innovative programs that enrich the lives of our local children. Congratulations to them all.

This week we also moved a step closer to one set of planning rules for the Northern Beaches with the draft Local Environmental Plan endorsed to go to the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, ahead of broader community consultation.

As we have spent more than four years talking to the community about what they value and completing studies on traffic, hazards, housing, workforce and the environment it’s important to have reached this next critical step in the process.

The draft does not propose significant new development, recognises the unique characteristics of our neighbourhoods and protects our precious environment while meeting our housing needs for the future.

We look forward to having discussions with the community once the Minister has provided any feedback on the draft.

Finally, Northern Beaches businesses dominated at the 2024 Sydney Business Awards this week. Belrose watercraft business The Whiskey Project Group won the prestigious Business of the Year award as well as Excellence in International Business. Manly’s Little Ripples Wine won the Excellence in Micro Business and specialist architectural drafting and building service Brother Nature Build in Brookvale took out the Employer of Choice (20 employees and under). Run by Business NSW, these awards are hard fought and it is impressive such a high number of our local small businesses have been so highly recognised.

Have a great weekend,

Mayor Sue Heins

It’s great to be able to give you a sneak peek at the program for the Creative Open 2024, a huge 4-day winter creative arts festival coming to the Northern Beaches from 25 July.

Not only is Creative Open a chance to glimpse behind the scenes of our galleries and studios or hone your artistic practice through workshops and artist talks, but this year we also have an incredible line up of music and comedy.

With over 170 events at more than 70 venues across the Beaches you are sure to find something to warm your creative spirit while supporting our local creative venues, musicians, and artists.

Once again some of the extraordinary individuals of our area were recognised in the 2024 King's Birthday Honour list this week. The awards were as diverse as for services to lifesaving and netball, business and education, science and health. Congratulations to all the recipients and thank you from all of us for all that you do.

And congratulations also to our local wheelchair basketball stars, the Manly Wheel Eagles, for first time entry into the Australian National Wheelchair Basketball League. You can see them play locally over the next few months, starting this Sunday at the Northern Beaches Indoor Sports Centre when they take on one of the League's strongest teams. This is an exciting spectator sport and a chance to see current and emerging Paralympians compete – I encourage you to get along and give them a home team advantage!

Have a great weekend,

Mayor Sue Heins

A huge congratulations to all the finalists in the 2024 Environment Art & Design Prize. With almost 700 entries across four categories, our esteemed panel of judges have certainly had a tough job.

It’s particularly pleasing to have received so many entries in our youth categories this year.

The work of all finalists will be exhibited at the Manly Art Gallery & Museum, Curl Curl Creative Space and Mona Vale Creative Space Gallery from 2 to 25 August. Good luck to all – the winners will be announced on 1 August.

Thank you to everyone who came along to our inaugural Net Zero event last Sunday. After threatening to be a wash out all week, it was fantastic to see the sun beaming down as hundreds of people streamed through to learn more about solar, energy savings, biodiversity, the circular economy and green transport.

Don’t worry if you missed it, you’ll find a heap of information on our website on what you can do to help the environment and also your hip pocket. For example, you can book a free Solar Conversation with one of our experts or put your address in the SunSPoT tool to calculate how much electricity and money a Solar PV system could save your home or business.

Check out the A to Z reuse, recycling and disposal guide or get tips on creating your own backyard habitat for local wildlife. Keep an eye out for our regular events such as the upcoming Solar and Energy Roadshow and Avalon Car Boot Sale. Together we can all work together to reduce our waste and emissions.

Finally, it’s great to get the Warriewood Community Centre construction underway. This $17 million facility will feature 5 multi-purpose halls, 2 multi-purpose meeting rooms, large covered outdoor spaces, accessible amenities, multiple kitchenette facilities and increased parking. When complete, expected late 2025, this will provide a fantastic new community asset for this area.

Have a great weekend,

Mayor Sue Heins

This week the NSW government announced new housing targets which would see 5,900 new homes on the Northern Beaches to be completed by 2029.

We have always been prepared to take our fair share of the housing needed for Sydney’s future within our constraints and have done a lot of work to plan our growth in areas that can sustain it, such as the new Frenchs Forest town centre and around our transport hubs.

We are still analysing what the announcement means for our area but at face value it is heartening to see that the government has not applied a more unrealistic target.

We have always said we need infrastructure ahead of development and we’d urge the government to share how they will support infrastructure alongside these targets, in particular, transport infrastructure.

In the meantime, we have been having constructive conversations with the government on their proposed low and mid-rise housing reforms and expect them to announce a refinement of their policy soon.

On another note, the Northern Beaches is an environmentally conscious community, inspired by a passion to protect the beautiful beaches, bushland and native birds and animals that make our area so special.

But it can be overwhelming when trying to decide on what actions you can take to make a difference – like getting household solar or buying an electric vehicle, finding ways to reuse or recycle household waste, reducing energy consumption or even to know how to start to grow your own vegies.

So, I’m excited to be opening Council’s inaugural Net Zero Expo this Sunday. This is a great opportunity to talk to experts, road-test products, demystify solar and electric vehicles, and learn more about the circular economy and biodiversity.

See the full Net Zero Expo program and register to get your free ticket. And let's hope the weather is kind to us!

And a final reminder to have your say on Council’s proposed budget for the next 12 months – the date for submissions has been extended but must close Tuesday.

The draft budget allocates funding to deliver some important projects including stormwater management works to reduce flooding and pollution, critical structural repairs to rockpools, improvements in roads, footpaths, playgrounds and sporting fields, and trials of different options for the reuse, repair and recycling of household items.

Explore the map to see what’s planned for your area, review fact sheets on projects in the environment, footpath and roads and heath and recreation or do a deep dive into the full document. We really value your feedback.

Have a great weekend,

Mayor Sue Heins

It’s National Volunteer Week, a chance to celebrate the many volunteers who make our community so special. From lifesavers to scout leaders, canteen helpers to counsellors, kids sports coaches to wildlife carers, every day across the Northern Beaches people give up their time for others.

I’m proud to say the Northern Beaches has a higher rate of volunteering (16.9%) than the greater Sydney average (11.6%) - we do have a strong culture of helping out.

A special thank you to all the volunteers who work with us here at Council. Over 900 volunteers work across 13 Council services, supporting environmental programs, Meals on Wheels, at the library, art gallery and museum and even tending our cemeteries. Our services are so much richer for the commitment, knowledge and sense of community our volunteers bring.

And we know our volunteers get a lot out of it too! If you have some spare time and would like to volunteer with us, we’d love to hear from you. Right now we have opportunities in bushcare, at Manly Visitor Information Centre and for the Manly Dam Mountain Bike track, to name a few. Find out how to get involved.

Over the next few weeks we also have the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and peoples on Sorry Day, Reconciliation Week and through the local Gai-mariagal Festival.

It’s a time to reflect on the ongoing legacy of the Stolen Generation and how we can play a part in the healing process but also learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements.

You can join a number of local events including weaving workshops, bushtucker tasting or hear Bruce Pascoe and Lyn Harwood in conversation with Susan Moylan Coombs at Glen Street Theatre. See all the Reconciliation Week events.

Finally, a reminder to have your say on Council’s budget for next financial year and let us know what projects you would like to see prioritised.

Have a great weekend,

Mayor Sue Heins

Here at Council we are strong advocates for getting people out of cars and onto bikes, easing local traffic, improving health and reducing emissions.

However, the increasing prevalence of e-bikes is a real safety issue and many in our community are concerned about how they are being used on our footpaths and shared paths.

That’s why this week we launched an extensive e-bike safety education campaign which asks riders to abide by a simple code to keep themselves and the community safe: 

• Slow down to walking pace when others are on the path 
• Ring your bell and call ‘on your right’ to let others know you’re approaching 
• Be ready for sudden changes – people, pets and prams can be unpredictable 

You’ll see the campaign roll out through signage on our bike paths, in our schools, on social media, online, in local bike shops and through the media.

Councils are not the regulating authority for e-bikes but we do have a role to play in community education and we are fortunate to have the backing of the local police, Bicycle NSW and local schools. This is a shared issue which requires all our attention and will be most effective when we are all reinforcing it.

I believe this campaign is a Council-first across the country and I am proud the Northern Beaches is taking the lead on this important issue. Please share it through your networks and help get the message out.

We are also continuing our advocacy with the state and federal governments in the background, calling for a statewide education campaign with a focus on young riders, a review of the relevant road rules, better monitoring and control of the importation of non-compliant bikes and the introduction of a simple way to identify both legal and illegal bikes through a compliance plate or similar.

Finally, a shout out to local young surfer Jordy Lawler who took the Sydney Surf Pro men’s title this week at North Narrabeen - his first-career Challenger Series victory. So great to see a local surfer win this prestigious international event which Council supports, alongside the Gold Coast's Isabella Nichols. Congratulations to them both.

Mayor Sue Heins

A very happy Mother’s Day to all the mums and grandmas for Sunday. I hope you are all spoiled! And for those looking for last minute gift ideas, you can’t beat our local boutiques, nurseries, experiences and food and beverage offerings. If you are in need of some inspiration, check out our local Mother’s Day guide.

We have a range of projects across the area which are currently on public exhibition and we’d love input from the community.

You can now view the draft North Narrabeen Reserve Plan of Management which proposes a range of sporting, community and recreational improvements, including sportsfield upgrades and lighting, a play and recreation space for children and young people and new accessible amenities.

Our Budget and Delivery Program are open for comment until 2 June and there are a range of dates and locations where our team will be available to answer all your questions.

We’re in the first stages of updating the Governor Phillip Park Plan of Management and would love to hear from a range of people who use the park – we have an online ideas board and a survey ready to collect your thoughts. You can view the draft masterplan for Warringah Recreation Centre at North Manly or see what changes are proposed to parking at the Manly Seniors Centre carpark.

Feedback on the concept designs for the Jamieson Park Sports Amenities Building at Narrabeen and the Long Reef boardwalk and bridge replacement plans close on Sunday. And you can also have your say on the remedial works planned for Taylors Point Wharf and a road safety improvement for Cabbage Tree Rd at Bayview.

Our projects are enhanced when we hear from a cross section of the community, and I’d encourage all residents to get involved in the projects of interest to you. Councillors do read the consultation reports and your comments and feedback really assist in our decision making when projects come before Council.

Finally, with local government elections coming up in September, now is the time to think about putting your name forward if you’d like to be a candidate. I can say it is an absolute honour and privilege to serve your local community in this way. Find out more about the local government election process and register now for our candidate information session in June.

Have a great weekend,

Mayor Sue Heins

Each year Council releases the draft budget and proposed program of works for the next financial year for community input.

Our proposed 2024/25 budget has a focus on resilience and sustainability, prioritising projects and services that support and strengthen our community and environment in a challenging economic and environmental climate.

It balances the need to respond to the increasing occurrence of storms, floods and coastal erosion, and their impact on infrastructure, while maintaining the services and activities valued by our community.

It will deliver some important projects including stormwater management works to reduce flooding and pollution, flood mitigation works on Wakehurst Parkway, trials of circular economy initiatives for reuse, repair and recycling of household items, critical structural repairs to rockpools and improvements in roads, footpaths, playgrounds and sporting fields.

Council is not immune to growing pressure on our financial sustainability and the rising costs of materials, contracts, and construction. We continue to work hard to find ways to offset cost pressures while maintaining our services and assets. In recent years we have reviewed fees, found efficiency gains and cost savings, including over $2.4 million in savings in the last two years and within this proposed budget.

The draft budget will be available for review from Friday 3 May, including suburb by suburb snapshots and subject fact sheets so you can see what is planned for the whole area. You can also attend one of the information sessions to ask more or have your questions answered. Consultation will be open until 2 June.

In other news this week, disaster assistance has been extended to the Northern Beaches local government area following heavy rainfall and flooding at the beginning of April. The assistance measures are being provided by the Federal and NSW Governments through the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements and includes grants for eligible residents to replace essential household items or undertake structural repairs. Find out more about disaster assistance and apply.

Have a great weekend,

Mayor Sue Heins

With both housing and rental prices on the rise, affordable housing is a huge issue here on the Northern Beaches, and it’s only getting worse. It makes it hard for our kids to be able to raise families here and hampers our ability to attract key workers like teachers, bus drivers and health care staff.

Supporting sustainable growth will help alleviate these pressures alongside measures we have introduced like affordable housing targets on new developments.

At Council we have spent the last 4 years working alongside our community to develop our housing strategy and carefully plan sustainable growth based on extensive traffic, transport, hazards and workforce studies, as we prepare our new Local Environment Plan for the Northen Beaches. The Government’s plan disregards this work and community input and applies a one size fits all approach to housing in all of Sydney.

The NSW Government’s solution to the issue has the potential to do real damage to the character of our area with increased density and building heights where transport and infrastructure can’t support it.

It’s important our community really understand what’s at stake, which is why we are hosting information sessions in every Council ward in the coming weeks. I strongly encourage you to register to attend one of the sessions near you to learn more and find out how the proposals will impact you.

And a friendly reminder school is back next week which means 40km/hour school zones apply.

Have a great weekend.

Mayor Sue Heins