Good For Manly launch campaign to turn town hall into concert and theatre space, cinema, rooftop bar
Deputy Mayor Candy Bingham has revealed the Good For Manly candidates who will be standing at the upcoming northern beaches election and a bold plan to transform the town hall.
Manly
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The push to turn Manly Town Hall into an live music venue and art space will form the main part of Good For Manly’s election campaign.
The local elections are now set for December 4, after being postponed for a second time.
Deputy Mayor Candy Bingham, who is number one on the Good For Manly ticket, is seeking re-election. She is being supported by two other candidates seeking to get on council.
Scott Porter, of Balgowlah Heights has been a supporter of another of Ms Bingham’s campaign to help save all of the iconic Manly Ferries which are under threat.
Currently, State Government has confirmed just two of the four Freshwater class vessels will be retained for use at weekends and public holidays, when smaller, faster ferries are brought in on the Manly to Circular Quay route sometime this year.
Mr Porter is number two on the ticket.
“I’ve lived in the area for 30 years and my wife and I have raised two young adult sons,” Mr Porter said.
“My background is technology and small business working for many years with Microsoft as well as co-founding and running a number of technology businesses. My focus is to build a vibrant, positive, sustainable community with strong, independent representation.
“I’m also a keen bike rider, so I really know this beautiful area very well.” Mr Porter added.
Third candidate on the Good For Manly ticket is Seaforth resident Sonia Walsh.
“I strongly believe that local government should be independent and not run by major political parties. I am also committed to women having much more of a role in government,” she added.
Ms Walsh, who is married with children, has already taken a leadership role in her community advocating about the local consequences of the Beaches Link tunnel.
Her areas of expertise are change management and finance, with experience working around the world and in several different industries with PricewaterhouseCoopers and later Lion Nathan.
She is actively involved in the northern beaches community as a volunteer.
Other major Good For Manly policies include banning boats from Cabbage Tree Bay to protect the sea grass, as well as swimmers.
The candidates will also push for new Manly ferries, based on the classic large, double ended design, but built to run on 100 per cent clean energy and advocate for residents impacted by the Beaches Link tunnel.
They have also pledged to fight “tough and nail” to protect the Hop, Skip and Jump community bus, which is under threat.
However, last month Cr Bingham said one of the main issues they will be pushing during the election campaign is transforming Manly Town Hall into a multipurpose art space, with a cinema and a rooftop bar.
A committee of volunteers, including artists, theatre production staff and architects, have been working on the proposal for the past 18 months.
The plans were revealed on Thursday evening and include a 350-retractable seat, multipurpose space for concerts, theatre and dance; a permanent 100-seat theatre space for lectures or comedy nights and an 80-seat cinema.
A proposed rooftop bar would help make the space viable.
The proposal is being backed by brothers Oli and Louis Leimbach from the ARIA award-winning band Lime Cordiale, along with Jim Moginie of Midnight Oil and Richard Tognetti from the Australian Chamber Orchestra.
Cr Bingham said the plans were drawn up by architect Joshua Zoeller who had walked through the building and come up with ideas based on the Studio, a flexible space at Sydney Opera House.
“The purposing of the heritage Manly Town Hall building into an exciting multiuse performing arts space just ticks all the boxes,” Cr Bingham said.
“As a major entertainment hub and community facility, this will also change our night time culture in Manly.
“It’s a fabulous way to get the Manly area, businesses and culture all firing again.”
Mr Zoeller, said that under the proposal the heritage significance and value of the building would be retained, and that the town hall naturally lent itself to being transformed into a large performance space.
“The heritage building could become an entertainment centre with a large versatile space seating around 350 people, a permanent theatre seating 100 people, a small cinema, and perhaps satellite exhibition space for the Manly Art Gallery and Museum, several rehearsal rooms, and a rooftop terrace bar,” he said.
“This is not a pie in the sky idea, it’s a realistic vision,” Cr Bingham said. “The Town Hall is now surplus to council requirements and a final decision as to its future use is expected to be made later in the year.”
Good For Manly is contesting Manly Ward, covering Manly, Manly Vale, Seaforth, Clontarf, North Balgowlah, Balgowlah, Balgowlah Heights and Fairlight. It’s one of five wards in the Northern Beaches Council.
Other candidates running for Manly include Liberals Georgia Ryburn and former rugby star Bill Calcraft, Labor’s Sam Pigram and The Greens number one choice Pamela Dawes.
A new independent team has also joined the race this election. John Kelly who runs Community Northern Beaches has launched Manly 1st – Your Voice For Manly.
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