Manly, East Esplanade: Rowdy revellers at beachfront party park cost ratepayers close to $188,000

Ratepayers have been hit with a huge bill thanks to a trouble-plagued unofficial party park on the northern beaches.

Northern Beaches Council spent close to $188,000 in ratepayers’ money last summer to patrol and clean up after rowdy revellers at a notorious unofficial outdoor party zone.

Shocking figures released this week reveal the council had to fork out for extra rangers, security guards, temporary toilets and rubbish collections at Manly’s harbourside East Esplanade Park.

And a total of about $10,000 damage was caused in and around the park over the previous four summers by people “slaughtered on alcohol”, the figures show.

Northern Beaches Council spent $20,000 last summer on extra staff to clean up after revellers along East Esplanade at Manly. Picture: Supplied

The figures were provided to independent councillor Vincent De Luca in answers to written questions to council officers, prompted by a recent spate of anti-social behaviour at the drinking spot.

The release of the numbers comes as police were set to step up high-visibility patrols this weekend at outdoor party hot spots including the parks around Freshwater Beach.

Officers from the police Public Order and Riot Squad will be on patrol on Friday and Saturday night alongside officers from the Northern Beaches Command.

Drinkers along East Esplanade with, inset, a woman squatting between two parked cars nearby. Picture; Supplied

Disgusted Manly residents have been regularly contacting the council and police about drunken revellers defecating in public, urinating in private property and leaving huge amounts of litter behind.

There were also concerns the venue could spread Covid because people were partying “shoulder to shoulder” and not social distancing.

Earlier this week the Manly Daily reported that alcohol-fuelled vandals had trashed the public amenities block at the rear of The Freshwater surf club last weekend and damaged surf club property.

Rubbish left behind by revellers on reserves near Freshwater Beach that was collected by residents early on Sunday morning. Picture: Supplied

The council was forced to bring in a special vacuum truck to suck up dangerous fragments of smashed beer and mixed drinks bottles from the grassed areas near the beach.

East Esplanade Park — known locally as “The Office” — has been temporarily fenced off from the public after a spike in reveller numbers as NSW eased out of the Covid lockdown.

Northern Beaches Council has fenced off East Esplanade Park at Manly for three weeks. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

Figures provided to Mr De Luca showed that, across the summer of 2020-21, the council spent $159,145 on overtime for its rangers to patrol East Esplanade Park on weekends.

It also had to set aside $20,000 to pay for additional staff to clean up after partygoers.

A photograph, taken by a resident, of a crowd in East Esplanade Park on a recent Friday night. Picture: Supplied

Another $5019 was spent on temporary toilets in the reserve and $3,555 was provided for private security guards to help keep order at weekends.

Mr De Luca, who recently voted “yes” to an unsuccessful motion by Councillor Pat Daley to ban alcohol from East Esplanade, said the anti-social behaviour had been outrageous and a waste of ratepayers’ money.

“Ratepayers should not have to be going to this excessive expense so that people can absolutely slaughter themselves on alcohol, or worse, then defecate and urinate in people’s adjoining properties.

A man photographed squatting behind a row of rubbish bins at East Esplanade Park, Manly. Picture: Supplied

“What about the residents who are entitled to peace and enjoyment too?”

Mr De Luca said council staff were in danger of being injured while working at the park.

“And why are we paying for private security guards? It’s not right.”

Council CEO Ray Brownlee has said that East Esplanade Park would continue to be a focus for rangers and that the council would continue to work closely with local police.

“Our priority is the health and safety of our community,” he told the Manly Daily.