Project update

March 2024

Snapshot

Timeline

  • Timeline item 1 - active

    Feb 2024: Thomas Stephens Reserve revised design

    See what's changed as a result of community consultation.

  • Timeline item 2 - incomplete

    Apr 2024: open and listening - revised road realignment plans

    Review and comment on the proposed changes to the road realignment and associated works.

  • Timeline item 3 - incomplete

    Mid-late 2024: road realignment works commence

    We anticipate starting the road works during winter. Timing will be dependent on what we heard during exhibition.

  • Timeline item 4 - incomplete

    Mid 2025: Thomas Stephens Reserve works commence

    The works at the reserve are scheduled to commence when the road realignment is complete.

Find out the details below

Church Point precinct is a popular and busy location especially in summer and our preference is to sequence the works out of busy periods. We are planning for all works to be complete prior to summer 2025.

We have made a number of revisions to the road realignment design and will be exhibiting these for the community's review in April. We anticipate the road works commencing mid-late this year.

The landscape works will be scheduled to commence once the road works are completed and budget is confirmed. At this time we hope to commence the landscape works mid-late 2025.

As the designs progress and tenders are complete we will come back with the confirmed timing.

The revised landscape design is the result of extensive consultation with community groups, key stakeholders and experts including arborists, as well as incorporation of community feedback. We've also taken into account any recent DAs and input from key local community and resident groups.

The overarching design brief is to create an accessible space. Some key changes include the ability to retain some trees and not others. Wherever possible we have sought to retain the trees however advice from an independent Arborist report notes that the trees to be removed would not survive the construction process.

You can read the Arborist advice for full details of their recommendations.

The proposed landscape improvements include new:

  • timber boardwalk and pavement
  • wharf style seating
  • tables and benches
  • repointing and backfilling of the existing seawall
  • bins, bike racks and water station
  • plantings and trees.

The revised design is available from the button below and includes a legend of the key landscape elements and a materials palette.

We invite you to view the revised designs and if you have any questions or concerns to contact our Parks Team.

Since our initial community consultation phase there have been some significant changes to the proposed road works.

We will be exhibiting the new road realignment and associated works and invite our community to see what's changed and raise any comments or questions before we move toward construction.

+Follow this page to be advised when the revised road design goes on exhibition.

Community engagement took place between 23 April and 23 May 2021 and we received 123 comments.

Since that time we have been reviewing and incorporating the feedback from our community, key stakeholder groups and internal business stakeholders.

We have made a number of changes to both the landscape design for Thomas Stephens Reserve and the proposed road realignment works. Some suggested changes have been accommodated while others are not supported due to, cost, varied community design desires or internal feedback from our various asset owners and maintenance operations within Council.

Our intention is to find the right balance between the wishes of community members and users whilst creating improved amenity and well managed assets with a quality outcome for the budget available.

You can read the Community Engagement Report to learn more - including the key themes that emerged during consultation, our responses and the community's verbatim comments.

For further information

Please contact:

Name Barbara Stack, Senior Asset Management Officer
Phone 1300 434 434
Email council@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au
In writing

'Church Point Landscape and Road Upgrades', Northern Beaches Council, PO Box 82, Manly NSW 1655.