The devastation wrought by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred in Northern NSW and Queensland is a powerful reminder of the importance of being prepared for natural disasters. Our thoughts are with those communities through the clean-up and recovery.

While all of us need to be prepared for the worst, some of the more vulnerable in our community may face additional risk if they haven’t planned what to do when the unexpected happens.

Through a grant from the Sydney North Health Network, we are offering free workshops to help people create a personal emergency plan tailored to individual needs and circumstances, providing the confidence to face any emergency situation.

Find out more and register for one of the three workshops in April. Carers and support people are also encouraged to attend.

The 2025 Seniors Festival is on until the end of March and packed with interesting event and activities. Come down to Dee Why RSL today from 10.30am for the Seniors Connect Festival and find out about the many local groups and activities for seniors. Or coming up you can join a nature walk, take on the surf, play some social scrabble, do a dance class, get support with digital technology, explore your family history or even try your hand at Chinese calligraphy. Most events are free and there are different choices every day.

Harmony Week is next week and it’s a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the rich diversity that makes the Northern Beaches so special. Almost 1 in 3 people here were born overseas, and 1 in 2 have at least one parent born abroad.

This year’s Harmony Week events have been co-created by local community leaders – 14 incredible individuals who have brought their heritage, perspective and traditions to life through this program.

The celebrations begin this Sunday with the Story of Us Intercultural Fair in Narrabeen, featuring vibrant cultural performances of song and dance, powerful storytelling and stalls to explore. I hope to see you there.

Finally, you may have seen work progressing on a number of infrastructure projects across the area. New playgrounds are under construction at Dee Why Beach and Frenchs Forest's Brick Pit Reserve and a smaller playground at Merrilee Reserve. The new community centre at Warriewood and the Warringah Recreation Centre at North Manly are progressing and works have begun on a section of the Coast Walk at Newport. New beach access stairs have just been completed off Collaroy Beach Carpark, the Taylors Point Wharf upgrade is done, a new small playground at Donegal Reserve, Killarney Heights is now open for fun, and road and footpath upgrades continue across the Northern Beaches.

Have a good weekend,

Mayor Sue Heins

Happy International Women's Day! It’s a great opportunity to celebrate the achievements of amazing women in our community and continue to acknowledge inequality where it persists. At Council we try to lead by example, with women making up 9 of 15 Councillors, 54% of the workforce and 51% of our leaders. Nonetheless we continue to strive for better gender equity in some less traditionally female fields like construction, landscaping and compliance.

In case you missed it, late last month the NSW Government mandated the separate collection of food waste for all NSW households by July 2030 and for all NSW businesses in stages from July 2026.

Under the NSW Government mandate, Councils will be required to either collect and recycle food scraps separately, or together with the garden waste already being collected in your green bin.

This is something we have been working towards as part of our Waste & Circular Economy Strategy 2040 and we are planning a phased approach to this service over the next few years. As it will be a big change for our community it's important we investigate and test which service model will be best for the Northern Beaches before we move to a full roll-out to every household.

We know recycling is a priority for our community and we will keep you updated.

In the meantime, it's a good reminder for us all to continue to minimise our food waste and prevent as much as possible from adding to landfill. You can get tips at one of the regular waste reduction webinars or workshops or learn more about composting and worm farming.

Have a great weekend,

Mayor Sue Heins

Last week the NSW Government announced the next stage of housing reforms which has implications for those within an 800m radius of 171 centres between the Illawarra, Greater Sydney and Hunter regions – with  9 of the centres in our area.

Depending on your land zoning, if you are located in one of the 9 areas the reforms permit dual occupancies, terraces, townhouses, low rise apartments, residential flat buildings and shop top housing, from 2 storeys to up to 6, and 30% higher if affordable housing is included.

We expect the planning instrument to be released later today and wait to see the detail, however we welcome that the NSW Government has listened to our submissions and exempted bushfire and flood-prone areas from the reforms, as well as the Newport, Narrabeen, Warriewood and Belrose town centres.

However their persistence with the one-size-fits-all approach and no plan or investment in the infrastructure required to manage this significant growth is concerning. Our roads are already struggling and queues for commuter buses at an all-time high.

We share the Government’s aim to support sustainable growth and increase the diversity of housing options to accommodate first home buyers, downsizers, key workers and for those in need of affordable housing. But the blunt way the new rules will be applied, with the same controls in place for residential areas that are located close to town centres across the whole of Sydney, the Illawarra, Central Coast and Hunter regions has the potential for some unintended poor outcomes.

Given the significant work we had already done identifying strategic centres, growth areas and housing targets, it is also disappointing that Council has been stripped of powers to refuse applications, with the Government’s new rules overriding the controls in Council’s LEP and DCP.

With these reforms now imposed, we will continue to call for the NSW Government to step up and invest in local infrastructure, transport and services to ameliorate the impacts this increase in density will inevitably have on our community.

You can learn more and see if your property falls into the affected area on the interactive maps released by the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure. We'll keep you posted once we see further detail.

Finally, a heads up that the Seniors Festival starts Sunday. Heaps on the program – exercise, music, tours, games, workshops, trivia, info sessions and much more, right through March. Book in now.

Have a great weekend,

Mayor Sue Heins

Dear Community,

In a financial and environmental win for our community this week, Council will replace the existing gas pool and domestic water heating systems at the Manly Andrew Boy Charlton Aquatic Centre (MABC) with energy efficient electric heat pump systems.

The energy-efficient electrification upgrade will save Council around $500,000 a year in energy costs and is funded jointly by Council and a $1.4 million grant from the Federal government announced yesterday.

Our thanks goes to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen and local MP Zali Steggall for their support for the grant for this important project.

The MABC is Council's highest energy using site. Gas accounts for around 34% of our carbon emissions, with almost all of this being used at the pool site. This project will help to further decarbonise Council’s operations and help us to meet our net zero targets.

You may remember last month the NSW Government announced without any notice or consultation that councils would be forced to provide beach parking permits to all local residents, not just ratepayers.

Last week we met with Minister for Transport and Roads, John Graham, to urge him to reconsider the policy, impressing on him and his staff the estimated cost to our ratepayers of more than $500k a year.

In an environment where ratepayers are increasingly asked to pick up the tab for state government costs, it’s entirely unreasonable to stack this on. We ask the government to support councils and fund this initiative or change the policy.

Our discussions with the Minister were open and frank and we thanked the Minister for committing to working with Council to find an equitable outcome without placing any financial burden on Northern Beaches ratepayers.

Finally, congrats to Manly Beach for taking out Australia’s top beach award in TripAdvisor's 2025 Travellers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best Beaches. Those who live here know that Manly is just one of many incredible beaches we are lucky enough to have in our area, but we’ll take the accolade and the benefits these kind of awards bring to our local tourist economy.

Have a great weekend,

Mayor Sue Heins

The NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into the use of e-bikes was handed down late yesterday afternoon.

While we are still digesting the report I am pleased to say that at first pass it appears they have listened to Council and our community and have recommended a range of measures to improve pedestrian and rider safety.

These include speed limits on footpaths for e-bikes, establishing safety standards, updating the Road Rules and Driver Knowledge Test and implementing a social media campaign to target young riders. See the full report.

We have led the way in getting action on these important issues. It’s now up to the NSW government to consider the report and respond to the recommendations within it.

With the ongoing commentary on the special rates variation, I would like to remind everyone that we have lots of information available so please visit the Your Say project page for fact sheets, rates calculator and FAQs.

This week there were claims that Northern Beaches staffing costs are millions more than they would have been under the 3 former Council areas had the merger not occurred. This is not true.

There are net 28 fewer positions since amalgamation with savings in executive and several back-office operations. This allowed Council to create some new community-facing services including a new 40-place preschool at North Harbour (operating without cost to ratepayers) and to expand frontline operations.

Northern Beaches Council has more than doubled the state government’s amalgamation savings target, with an estimated $161.6 million net present value saved over 10 years following the merger. These savings were invested back into the community through additional services and infrastructure and reduced domestic waste charges for ratepayers. Without these savings, our funding gap would be larger.

And we continue to identify and make savings. At the end of last year we made the difficult decision to cut a number of Hop Skip Jump bus routes and we have just notified families that Vacation Care services will no longer be provided due to decreasing attendance and increasing costs.

On a final note, head to Manly tomorrow for the Manly Health & Wellness Day, showcasing local health and wellness businesses with great activities and events from 9am.

Have a great weekend.
Mayor Sue Heins

Dear Community,

I am pleased to share the outstanding success of this year's Sun Run. Last Sunday, a record-breaking 10,000 participants hit the pavement and ran either a 10km or 7km course along the scenic route from Dee Why to Manly. Congratulations to all the winners and participants – your determination, athleticism and fundraising capabilities are inspiring.

Winners crossed the finish line in remarkable times of 30:06 minutes for the 10km and 26:18 for the 7km. This year we saw multiple records shattered - personal bests achieved, the most runners ever and an impressive $114,000 raised for charities across Australia, surpassing our $100k goal.

It is wonderful to see many locals and visitors getting out and running with friends and family, supporting their favourite charities, and spending up at local businesses afterwards (there wasn’t an empty restaurant/cafe table in sight in Manly!). More than half the competitors were visitors to our area, with many here for the day and spending with our local businesses.

To everyone who joined the run, whether to compete, cheer on a participant, raise money for a worthy cause, or simply have fun, you have helped make this year’s event unforgettable.

This week Council submitted the application for a Special Variation to rates to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART). IPART will undertake its own assessment including community consultation in the coming months and we expect a decision sometime in May. Learn about the IPART assessment process.

We understand there are a range of views in the community and I encourage you to visit our Special Variation to rates page for the latest updates and to get the facts, follow the project at Your Say and use the calculator to see what the proposal will mean for you.

Have a good weekend,

Mayor Sue Heins

This week Council voted to apply to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) for a Special Variation to increase rates to improve services and ensure ongoing quality service delivery to our community (Option 3 of the proposals).

There is no question it was a very difficult decision which I know weighed heavily on every Councillor. No one wants to ask our community to pay more for services, but the gap in our income from rates has put Council’s long-term financial stability at risk.

If approved, the proposal will equate to an increase for the average residential ratepayer of $2.70 per week next year, $3.12 per week in 2026/27 and $3.60 per week in 2027/28, on top of the usual rate peg increase.

Skyrocketing inflation, increasing construction costs, loss of income from the pandemic and massive cost shifting from other tiers of government is something we cannot catch up with by cutting services alone. In fact, an average of $379 per year from your rates funds costs that were shifted to us from state and federal governments.

The existing rate cap funding model for all councils is broken and this application process is hurting communities across the state. We are aware of 5 other councils considering a rates variation this year and there are 57 others who have had IPART approve variations in the last 9 years.

Clearly the system the government has in place is not sustainable for councils and the only way we can keep on top of maintaining our pools, playgrounds, beaches, libraries etc. is to go through this difficult IPART process.

It needs a complete shake up so other councils don't suffer what our community is going through - which is exactly what the recent NSW parliamentary inquiry recommended.

Be assured, your elected Council is considering a range of other cost cutting measures including some cut already (voted on in December 2024) and there’s a detailed improvement and productivity plan, Attachment 4, page 192 of the Council Report, that will accompany our IPART application.

These savings are on top of the $29.5 million per year saved on amalgamation.

Some Councillors are proposing cancelling events including Christmas carols and New Years Eve fireworks or selling off public land and assets. While everything is on the table for consideration there is no quick fix to address the shortfall, from inflation alone, of $24 million per year needed to maintain our assets that won’t leave a massive maintenance burden for future generations.

If approved by IPART, the proposed variation in rates will allow us to better invest in roads and footpaths and to address stormwater backlogs and respond to the more frequent and unpredictable extreme weather events.

It will allow us to better protect the bushland and coastal environment that make our area so special. And we will be able to adequately fund improvements to sportsfields, aquatic centres, playgrounds, surf lifesaving buildings, town centres and more complex environmental restoration programs.

We understand this proposal will result in increased rates for our community. However, we believe it is the right way forward to manage the many challenges we face and to protect the things our community value. It will mean the difference between delivering the assets, services and infrastructure our community can be proud of, or just doing the bare minimum of repairs to keep them functional.

Once the application is submitted to IPART, they then conduct their own community consultation and will advise us of their decision around May. I will keep you updated with the details once they become available.

Unfortunately, the issue has elicited some misinformation and inaccurate reporting in the media and on social media. I encourage you to get the facts, visit the project page and use the calculator to see what the proposal will mean for your property.

Mayor Sue Heins

This week I was alerted via the media to a proposal by the NSW Government to provide Council beach parking permits to renters in the same way they are provided to ratepayers.

In a utopian world we’d have 240,000 parking spots available at our beaches for all our residents and no need for permits or to charge for beachside parking at all.

However, we live in the real world where there are limited spots available and the cost to maintain, clean and staff our beaches and rockpools, and surrounding infrastructure, is increasing in line with the cost to provide all council infrastructure and services.

This idea costs the state government nothing (in fact it gives them a great headline), yet once again Council ratepayers pick up the costs.

I have sought an urgent meeting with the Minister to find out his plans to cover the funds ratepayers will lose, potentially over half a million dollars a year, if this proposal is implemented. I will keep the community updated.

Next week is the first council meeting of the year where we will be considering Council's long term financial sustainability. Ongoing cost shifting from the state government is a key reason we need to be having these discussions.

On a much happier note, a huge congratulations to all our Australia Day award winners. This year’s winners showcase the many incredible ways our locals contribute to our community. From surf lifesaving and emergency service volunteers to an inspiring endurance athlete, and community events and groups raising funds for essential services. All the winners embody the strength and spirit that make the Northern Beaches community so special.

Have a good weekend,

Mayor Sue Heins

Happy new year. I hope you all enjoyed the holiday period here on one of the best places on the planet. We had more than 30,000 people ringing in the new year on our shores watching Council's fireworks and tens of thousands of others enjoying our Christmas and summer events.

We have lots planned for the year ahead and I look forward to keeping you informed and involved.

A shout out to the quick work of Council clean up crews on our beaches this week following the discovery of unidentified pollution balls washed up on nine of our southern beaches.

Both Council and the EPA have undertaken testing and we’re hopeful these tests will help the EPA to identify the source of this pollution. This type of issue has affected a number of beaches in NSW in recent months and we want to ensure it’s not the start of a return to the bad old days of beach pollution.

Our crews are continuing to monitor the beaches and encourage residents to get in touch if they see any of the small balls – call Customer Service on 1300 434 434 or EPA Environment Line on 131 555.

On a lighter note, with Australia Day just around the corner we have a number of events you can enjoy leading into and on the day. Check out the Australian Made Markets this Sunday and the outdoor movie, pool parties and a food truck party next week.

Mayor Sue Heins