Nightlife in Manly
During consultation on the Manly Place Plan, you told us that Manly’s nightlife needs a broader variety of activities, entertainment, events, shops, restaurants, bars and cultural experiences for people of all ages.
What's happening?
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Special Entertainment Precinct (SEP)
The Manly commercial centre is an ideal location for a Special Entertainment Precinct given its unique local character and culture, accessibility, visitor infrastructure and history as an iconic destination and established night-time precinct.
Grant funding for SEP trial
We are seeking grant funding to develop trading hours and sound controls to support a more diverse and vibrant Manly night-time economy, whilst protecting residential amenity. These new controls will be tested in an 18-month Special Entertainment (SEP) trial, starting mid-2026
Have your say - business survey
Reviewing feedback - An important step in securing a grant under the NSW Government’s SEP grant program is to consult with the community and businesses on the proposed boundary of the SEP. Your input will help shape the proposed boundary for an 18-month SEP trial in Manly.
Comments closed on Fri 11 April 2025.
Overview
What is a Special Entertainment Precinct (SEP)?
A SEP is a designated area where Council sets the maximum trading hours and controls for entertainment sound to encourage live music and entertainment and to support safe, vibrant and diverse night-time precincts.
Key features
The key features are outlined below. There will be no reduction on current approved levels or hours.
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More flexible trading hours
In a SEP, Council sets the maximum trading hours for businesses & venues so they can operate flexibly within these hours without needing approval. In addition:
- Eligible licensed venues will be allowed an extra hour of trading every night of the week, if they host at least 45min of live performance after 8pm on at least 2 nights of any 7-day period.
- Dedicated live music/performance venues will be allowed an extra 2hrs trading any night they host a live performance after 8pm for more than 45min.
Entertainment sound management
We'll undertake an acoustic study & develop new, tailored controls to manage entertainment sound in the Manly commercial centre.
Entertainment sound
- Sound emissions from live or recorded music, entertainment &/or performance (indoor & outdoor)
- Sound associated with patrons arriving & leaving venues
- She sale & supply of liquor, provision of food/dining services
- Staff or patrons conversing & singing
- Set up, pack downs, rehearsals & sound checks
Benefits for businesses
We will be developing new maximum trading hours to support vibrancy for businesses within the precinct boundaries - including licensed and unlicensed venues.
Specific incentives for licensed venues with live entertainment within a SEP include an 80% reduction of liquor licence fees, and additional trading hours.
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Creates jobs
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Attracts visitors and tourists
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Attracts business investment
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Cultural hub
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Boosts the local economy
Location
Manly commercial centre
Manly is the gateway to the Northern Beaches. With its unique culture and history, it provides a welcoming home for residents, a vital place for workers and embraces day and other short-term visitors drawn to this special place.
27% of all jobs in Manly are related to the 24-hour economy, and a Special Entertainment Precinct will drive spending in late-night venues, retail stores, and local businesses, stimulating economic growth.
The proposed SEP is restricted to blocks where existing licensed venues are concentrated and avoids coverage of predominantly residential properties
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My business is shaded pink, what does that mean?
If your business or property is shaded pink on the map below, that means it has been identified for inclusion within the SEP boundaries.
- Residential properties - we will be conducting acoustic testing to determine what sound controls will prevent your property and others around it from being exposed to unreasonable levels of entertainment sound.
- Business properties - you may be able to trade longer hours, with additional hours if live music provisions are met.
Have an enquiry?
| Name | Strategic & Place Planning Team |
|---|---|
| Phone | 1300 434 434 (during business hours) or 131 450 (for translation services) |
| council@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au | |
| In writing | marked 'Manly Special Entertainment Precinct', Northern Beaches Council, PO Box 82, Manly NSW 1655. |
*Duplicate contributions will be counted as one unique contribution.
All comments in their entirety are made publicly available in the Community Engagement Report. Personal identifying information, and content which is discriminatory, hateful or which may defame, offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate will be redacted.
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acknowledge the Traditional Custodians and their Country on which we
gather today. By these words we show our respect to all Aboriginal
people. We acknowledge Elders past, present and emerging and the spirits
and ancestors of the Clans that lived in this area.
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