Night rangers on the northern beaches set to enforce crackdown on ‘pop-up pubs’
A taskforce of specially trained council rangers has begun patrolling popular drinking areas in Manly as part of a crackdown on late-night, anti-social behaviour. It comes after reports of indecent exposure, urination, rubbish and damage to public property at two popular hot spots.
- Councillor Pat Daley to push for 24-hour drinking ban
- ‘Pop-up pub’ at Manly’s East Esplanade to get more toilets
A taskforce of specially trained council rangers has begun patrolling popular drinking areas in Manly as part of a crackdown on late-night, anti-social behaviour.
The 20-odd night rangers were already employed by Northern Beaches Council but retrained to gain authorisation to confiscate and tip out alcohol from partygoers in public. The patrols are in response to waterfront residents concerned that Manly’s reserves were becoming “pop-up pubs”.
The council adopted the East Esplanade safety management plan in July, following frustration from neighbours of the reserve — known as The Office — that their homes were being used by revellers as toilets.
The council would not detail the training, or working hours of the rangers but said they would act as an extra set of eyes for police to enforce alcohol consumption rules in areas such as East Esplanade Reserve, Shelly Beach and Little Manly Point.
The rollout of the taskforce is timely for police and council, with $365,000 worth of improvements to The Office set to be complete this Friday. These include the installation of sandstone walls and terraces and timber decking, seating bays, new grassed areas and drainage improvements to prevent erosion and run-off.
Public toilets at the eastern end of the reserve would also be upgraded next year, Mayor Michael Regan said.
“It’s important this great space, the other areas of Manly, are managed so they can be enjoyed by locals and visitors without undue impact on surrounding residents,” Cr Regan said.
“Council has been working with the police and others through the community safety committee to ensure a range of measures are in place over summer to address previous issues at East Esplanade and other key locations. This includes the establishment and enforcement of an alcohol prohibition zone from 8pm, seven days a week.”
Pleased with the implementation of the new taskforce, Cr Candy Bingham said she hoped having the night rangers would help to re-establish the region’s reputation as an area to enjoy rather than binge-drink.
“The East Esplanade is not a beer garden — it’s a picnic area,” she said.
“We don’t want to ban alcohol. We just want to trial this strategy because it’s the first chance we’ve had since the amalgamation.
“Council’s goal is to work with police to reinstate the picnic area so people can have a glass of wine while watching the sunset.”
Cr Bingham’s comments follow Cr Pat Daley putting forward a motion to re-establish a 24-hour booze ban at the reserve, which was unanimously voted to be removed by police, councillors and community members in 2014. The legal drinking time was then re-evaluated and extended to 8pm earlier this year.
In a series of emails to the Manly Daily, Cr Daley said recent events at East Esplanade and Shelly Beach — indecent exposure, urination, rubbish and damage to public property — had compelled him to elevate his opposition to the extended drinking hours.
At a council meeting on Tuesday, he will call for stricter enforcement of alcohol-free zones and an upgrade of signage, along with the implementation of a community hotline.
“Summer has only just started and we’re already seeing an escalation of alcohol related anti-social behaviour and in some cases (alleged) illegal drug use, particularly in Manly,” Cr Daley said.
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