Reviewing feedback

Comments closed 23 October 2023

What's happening now

What's proposed?

We have worked closely with the appointed working group and contracted architects, Terroir Pty Ltd to develop a draft concept plan for the Manly Life Saving Club building.

We have listened to feedback from the first stages of engagement which has resulted in the building being pulled back in the north eastern corner to widen access around the coastal walkway to Shelly Beach.

In this stage of the project, additional public toilets, change rooms, accessible facilities and public showers are proposed for the northern section of the existing building to further reduce congestion at the front of the club.

We also asked whether or not these amenities should be in a separate building, to the north of the current club, in our survey, which was open from 26 October to 23 November.

Submissions are now closed and we are currently reviewing feedback from the community.

Click +Follow at the top of the page if you would like to receive updates on the project.

View the draft concept plans open in new window

Project history

Engagement outcome - Feb 2023

The Community were invited to share their ideas and visions for the new Club via an online vision board on Council’s Your Say page.

Ideas opened on 4 December 2022 and closed 29 January 2023. We received 75 comments via the ideas board and email. You can view the full engagement summary here.

An onsite drop-in session was also held on Saturday 10 December 2022, where the community had an opportunity to find out more about the project and provide their ideas. This attracted a significant amount of interest.

The visioning exercise helped inform the building priorities and concept design for the new Club. Work behind the scenes was carried out to determine site constraints parameters, and environmental impacts.


View the Community Engagement Report - Stage 2 - Visioning Exercise open in new window

The community were invited to share their ideas and vision for the Club via an online vision board on the Your Say page.

An onsite session was also held on 10 December where people could speak to the architect and project team to learn more about the project.

At the 23 August 2022 Council meeting, Council resolved to appoint TERROIR as the design consultant for the project.

Using a two-stage tender process, Council is seeking to engage the services of a suitably qualified design consultancy firms with experience in iconic, coastal projects of comparable size and complexity. The appointed Design Consultant will select, engage and lead a team to engage with the community, investigate the feasibility, planning and other constraints of the location in order to determine the optimum location, size and design of the building/s.

It is intended that the same consultancy team will then develop the design (in consultation with Council, Manly Life Saving Club, Council’s working groups, other nominated stakeholders and through engagement with the local community) to contribute to the delivery of a fully operational, certified and completed project that meets or exceeds Councils requirements.

At the meeting held on Tuesday 23 June, 2020 Council agreed to reserve $5 million from the 'Surf Life Saving Major Renewals Fund' to progress this project.

The project has now been approved to proceed to design stage.

View the Council documents:

A report to obtain Council’s in principle support to commit funding for the Manly Life Saving Club and Community Facilities Redevelopment will be presented for consideration on Tuesday 23 June, 2020.

View the:

In line with social distancing requirements, this meeting will be held remotely. You can watch the live webcast here from 6pm on Tuesday 23 June, 2020.

If you would like to address Council, please complete the Request to speak form.

We have been advised that our expression of interest for grant funding through the Greater Sydney Sport Facility Fund for the Manly Life Saving Club Redevelopment was unsuccessful.

Our staff will now work closely with Club representatives to determine how to proceed with the project to deliver an outcome that is suitable for the Club and the community.

In collaboration with Manly Life Saving Club we are actively seeking additional funding for this exciting project.

A number of funding options are currently being explored and outcomes will be reported on our project page.

At its meeting of 28 May 2019 Council resolved not to accept any design consultancy services tenders (RFT2019/031) for the Manly Life Saving Club.

Council officers will now fully identify the project budget envelope, prior to seeking new tenders for design consultancy services.

Over the past four months the community working group have detailed the design consultant’s brief in preparation for the tender process. Once a design consultant has been engaged the working group will reconvene.

Council officers have evaluated the tenders received during the first stage tender for the Design Consultancy Services, with the outcomes being presented in a confidential report to Council at its meeting of 28 May 2019.

View the Council Agenda

During the community engagement period (16 November-16 December 2018) we invited community members to get involved in the upgrade of Manly Life Saving Club. We asked people to share their ideas to help shape the future design or to register to become a member of our community working group.

The feedback received will assist the Community Working Group in refining the needs-brief for the tender process.

The detailed community comment summary is now available in the Document Library.

Manly Life Saving Club - Engagement Comment Summary - January 2019

Comments closed

The comment period on the first stage of this project has now closed.

Thank you to those who provided comments to us at our various drop-ins, online or in writing.

We received:

  • 252 comments at our drop-ins
  • 81 online submissions
  • 31 nominations to join the working group

Next steps

Early in the new year we'll notify the successful nominations for the Manly Life Saving Club Community Working Group as well as provide a summary of the engagement feedback received.

Comments close this weekend

Thank you to those who came and spoke with the project team at Manly Life Saving Club over the past month.

Community comments received at the drop-ins provided great insight into what is important to users of this facility.

Read the drop-in comments

If you haven't had a chance to share your thoughts on shaping the future design of the Manly Life Saving Club building, there's still time.

  • Comment online (closed)
  • Register to join the working group (closed)

Comments close Sunday 16 December 2018

Drop-in and help shape the future design

There is still time to get involved in this project.

We'll be outside Manly Life Saving Club to hear your thoughts on what you'd like included in the new design of the Manly Life Saving Club building.Come and have a chat with the project team on:

  • Wed 5 Dec, 5-7pm
  • Sat 8 Dec, 8-10am

If you can't get along to one of our casual drop-ins, share your thoughts on our comment form, or register to join the community working group.

Comments close 16 December 2018.

Drop-in cancelled

Due to weather conditions today, Wednesday 28 November, we've postponed our drop-in outside Manly Life Saving Club.

The new date is:

Wed 5 Dec, 5-7pm

Other opportunities to get involved:

  • Drop-in outside Manly Life Saving Club
    Sat 8 Dec, 8-10am
  • Nominate to join the Community Working Group.

Comments close Sunday 16 December, 2018.

Drawing great community comments

It was great to see so many people on Wednesday morning and hear their ideas for shaping the future design.

If you missed us, come and chat onsite with the team on:

Wed 28 Nov, 5-7pm
Sat 8 Dec, 8-10am


Have your say

  • Join our community working group. Read the Terms of Reference and register online.
  • Share your comments online.

Comments close Sunday 16 December.

Engaging with the community

We are proceeding with the first stage of community engagement on this project, as noted in the Council resolution below.

Over the next four weeks we will be engaging with the local community and seeking expressions of interest to join a working group to help us shape the future design.

We are looking to understand what the community want to see included and what they don't want to see included as part of the renewal, starting with a blank canvas we want to understand the needs and define the uses of the facility and it's surrounds.

How to get involved

We’re inviting community members to get involved in the upgrade of Manly Life Saving Club. Share your ideas to help shape the future design or register to become a member of our community working group.

Your comments and ideas will be included for consideration during preparation of the design concept.

Make a comment

  • Online
  • In writing ‘Manly Life Saving Club Renewal’ to Northern Beaches Council, PO Box 82 Manly NSW 1655

Come to a drop-in

Share your ideas with the project team at Manly Life Saving Club:

Wednesday 21 Nov, 6.30 – 8.30am
Wednesday 28 Nov, 5 – 7pm
Saturday 8 Dec, 8 – 10am

Register for the Working Group

We’re inviting a range of stakeholders and community representatives to join a community working group to assist us and the design consultants in developing a concept plan for the new surf club.

Read the Working Group Terms of Reference and register your interest, nominations close Sunday 16 December 2018.

Comments close 16 December 2018


External link)

At its meeting on 16 October 2018 (Item 10.3, pg.11), Council agreed to provide in principle support for the rebuild of Manly Life Saving Club, with the following resolution:

“A. Council endorse the strategy to proceed with design options for a new Life Saving Club and Community Building at Manly.

B. Council establish a community working group to work collaboratively with Council and the Club.

C. Council propose a suitable budget via the 2019/20 budget process to progress the project, including undertaking a two stage tender process to engage a design consultant as detailed in the report.

D. Council write to all relevant Ministers informing them of the upcoming project, in an effort to source appropriate funding.

E. Staff report back to Council at the conclusion of the second stage of community consultation prior to proceeding to Development Application for approval to progress to Development Application and business case stage.”