Manly-to-Shelly walkway blocked off by metal fence to stop people taking ‘disaster selfies’

TOURISTS and locals have been risking their safety by ducking under security tape to get a selfie of the storm damage at Manly. Now the council has taken action.

A huge fence, stretching from the rocks across the path. Workmen were in the process of replacing a smaller fence with a more solid structure on Thursday.

• Manly-to-Shelly footpath devastated by storm
• Storm smashes popular cafe at Fairy Bower

TWO 3m high metal fences with spikes are being built to stop runners and people taking “disaster selfies” along the storm-damaged Manly-to-Shelly footpath.

Security guards have also been standing guard at Fairy Bower and Shelly Beach, 24 hours a day for the past week, stopping people walking along the broken path.

Walkers and runners have been ignoring the safety tape meant to stop people accessing the damaged Manly-to-Shelly footpath. Picture: Lee Godtchalk

Hardy Schacker, who owns The Bower Restaurant, said people had been ignoring­ the safety tape.

“There are lots of runners going through,” he said.

“At the weekend there were many people, tourists, taking these ‘disaster selfies’. It’s not safe.”

A security guard told the Manly Daily it was dangerous because utilities running underneath the path had also suffered damage.

Owner of The Bower Restaurant Hardy Schacker outside the damaged building.

A second security guard based at Shelly Beach said he had stopped “many, many people” over the past week who had tried to access the path, even at 1am or 2am in the morning.

“Some swear and get angry,” he said. “Some are tough.”

A security guard at Shelly Beach, where a new 3m high fence will go up.

He said a couple of people had ignored his repeated warnings and clambered over the rocks at Shelly Beach and climbed up onto the path further along.

Mel Kushkarian, manager at The Boathouse Shelly Beach said she had seen people ducking under the ropes.

A council spokesman said the new fence had been erected to ensure the safety of the public and a pedestrian detour was in place.

A man slips over on the footpath between Manly and Shelly Beach after the storm. The path was severely damaged.

“The safety of the northern beaches community ... is our highest priority,” she said.

She added the council was unable to say when the work would be completed as engineers were still assessing the damage.

However, while the work was complicated, they would be working around the clock to fix it.