Northern Beaches Council has hundreds of open spaces for our community to enjoy, including our beautiful beaches, unique rockpools and picturesque parks and sportsgrounds. If you would like to hold an event or activity there is bound to be a location suitable for you. Booking a location is recommended for any activity that involves more than 20 people (all school groups must book), has onsite infrastructure or a third-party providing a service. Permission from Council is also required to operate a business or carry out commercial activities on public open space including fitness sessions, 'learn to' schools, hire services, advertising and activations and filming.

A booking is not required for the scattering of ashes. Please be aware that the scattering of ashes is not permitted near where people are swimming or where it will be washed into these areas, it is recommended you select a location that does not impact the public. If you wish to scatter ashes as part of a service on Council land you will need to make a formal booking. NSW Health also provide some helpful information regarding the scattering of ashes by boat at sea.

Why book?

Applying to use Council’s open spaces ensures that the space is reserved for you and there are not clashing events.  We assess each request and ensure that the venue and activities are suitable for your needs and do not adversely impact the venue and other people in the surrounding area. 

It is important that you provide ample time for Council to assess your event, it is recommended to provide at least 4 weeks for small events and more than 12 weeks for larger more complex requests.

Please note that most bookings do not give exclusive rights to a venue, specific permission is required from Council to fence or close off an area. 

How to make a booking enquiry

You can make a booking request online for some activities while others still require the completion of an application form. Online requests can be made for small to large scale events, sports events, filming and photography, working on or over reserve permits, beach wheelchairs and weddings. This process reserves the date and venue and sends it to Council for assessment.

Other activities including booking a banner site and running a business on public land still require an application form to be sent to Council for assessment. 

For online enquiries browse the venues via the 'browse venues and availability' button above for suitable and available venues. Follow the prompts to add your event details and send your request to Council. If a venue is not listed or can not be found on your chosen dates it is not available to book on that day. You will be asked to choose an activity type; this can vary at each venue. Your options may be medium or small event and weddings. Once you chose your activity type there will be a series of questions related to your activity, please complete each question and provide as much information as possible to ensure a quick and smooth assessment. It is also important to attach any supporting documents including Public Liability Insurance and site plans.

Please review our standard Terms and Conditions before making an online request for one of our venues.

Council Assessment

Once the request is approved you will be sent a Booking Contract, conditions of use and an invoice. We will contact should further information be required.

Fees and Charges

The relevant adopted fees and charges will be applied once your request is approved. Due to the variability and complexity of each booking request the fee is not able to be calculated and displayed on the online booking system. There may also be fees for additional services such as sportsfield lighting, bins, keys, lifeguards, jet skis and cleaning. A bond may also be required to cover any potential damage to the venue as a result of your activities.

Please note there may be administration charges applied for those bookings that come in late and/or require multiple changes. Refunds are possible in specific circumstances only, this will be outlined in your Booking Contract.