In a bid to deter people urinating on people’s private properties near East Esplanade Reserve, Northern Beaches Council will pay for security guards and a mobile CCTV unit to catch the culprits.People are allowed to drink at the beauty spot until 8pm.Cr Candy Bingham, who fought to allow people to “have a glass of wine or two” at East Esplanade – nicknamed by locals as ‘The Office’- has admitted the situation needs to be re-evaluated.
She told the Manly Daily the measures will be rolled out immediately and she hoped it would just be for the short-term.“We want to break the cycle of antisocial behaviour,” she said.“It hasn’t always been this bad, but it has escalated this year, I think because of COVID and because people are only allowed a restricted number of people in their homes.” She said action is being taken because residents opposite the reserve at Manly Cove have reported an increase in people urinating and throwing up on their property.
Cr Bingham said one resident was shocked to see two men in business suits urinating inside the lobby of her unit block.There is a new toilet block at the reserve and Cr Bingham, but it was hidden and more signage was going to go up.On Australia Day there were nine arrests and six people charged following a range of incidents around Manly Wharf including a teenage brawl at East Esplanade.The weekend before police and rangers had to shut the area down because there was an estimated 1300 on the grass – more than the 800 allowed under COVID restrictions.“Residents say people have been spewing and urinating in their lobbies and on their cars,” Cr Bingham said.
“Australia Day was out of control.“It needs to stop or we will have to shut it down.”Cr Bingham said last year that drinking at the reserve was managed well by police and council rangers.
Cr Bingham said the new strategy will be discussed at the next community safety meeting on February 18.Manly MP James Griffin said he had also heard from residents and supported the move to reassess the management of the area.He warned that if the rules are not respected it will lead to discussions as to whether public drinking can continue at that spot.He added that he would also not want to detract from people’s first impressions of Manly, a concern he will also raise at the safety committee.
Sam Todd, 29, who runs the Instagram page The Manly Office with his mate Leo Maden, said those who frequent the spot call out any bad behaviour and he has only seen some bad singing.He said ‘The Office’ brings together people from all walks of life and backgrounds all with the “common goal of sitting in the sun, listening to the waves and enjoying a beer with a mate”.
He said to have it ruined by one night of silliness on Australia Day by people that weren’t locals is “borderline criminal”.Cr Pat Daley, whose fight last year to stop public drinking at East Esplanade during the pandemic saw the launch of a petition by members of the community to stop his motion. That motion was put to the council and lost.
Cr Daley said that residents have suffered for years with people urinating on their property because of drinking at East Esplanade, not just this year.However, he agreed it had got a lot worse.He said he was in support of CCTV and security guards, as was Cr Sarah Grattan.“People who live on and near East Esplanade have been put through enough,” he said.“What they have had to endure is a disgrace and the fact that all three Manly ward councillors are now on the same page regarding the management of security on East Esplanade is a major step in the right direction. “It is not going to be easy in dealing with this mess however we have now made a start.”
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