Deputy mayor says Northern Beaches Council ‘dropped the ball’ controlling ‘pop-up pubs’ in parks
DEPUTY Mayor Candy Bingham has conceded Northern Beaches Council has “dropped the ball” on anti-social issues at East Esplanade, following a meeting with local police.
Manly
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DEPUTY Mayor Candy Bingham has conceded Northern Beaches Council has “dropped the ball” on anti-social issues at East Esplanade, following a meeting with local police.
Cr Bingham and fellow Manly ward councillor Sarah Grattan have been working with residents — who have branded it a “pop- up pub” — as well as police and council staff to take back control of East Esplanade.
The popular reserve, commonly known as “The Office” was fast being transferred in to “the bathroom” with party goers using nearby homes as toilets.
Cr Bingham said amalgamation was to blame for the lack of ranger presence. “There have been no night rangers patrolling the area where previously there were four rangers assigned,” she said.
“The demise of the Manly Safety Advisory Committee has also meant the issue has gone unmonitored.”
Councillors met with Northern Beaches Police commander Superintendent Dave Darcy on Tuesday night. Among ideas discussed were user pays police and extending drinking hours from 4.30pm to 8pm.
Liberal Manly ward councillor Pat Daley disagrees with increasing the hours and instead wants a 24-hour ban. “It means we are giving these people more time to get intoxicated and creating a situation where we are putting young police, let alone rangers, in a much more dangerous situation where they are now confronting intoxicated people and asking them to stop drinking or move on. It greatly increases the chances of confrontation,” he said.
Both points of view will be discussed at the Manly Community Forum’s meeting on Monday night. But Cr Daley has also called for a State Government and council taskforce to be formed.