Background

MANLY2015 is a strategic, forward thinking vision to guide the future rejuvenation of Manly. It aims to improve and capitalise on Manly as a village and as an international destination for our current and future community and visitors.  The MANLY2015 Vision contains improvements to public domain, traffic and streetscape that are necessary to renew the Manly Village for the future, with long-term infrastructure benefits for the local environment, economy and community.

There has long been an identified need for public domain and laneway improvements in the areas surrounding the Manly Town Centre’s Corso. The problems identified include narrow streets, multiple and under-utilised lane-ways with high vehicle dominance, poor pedestrian safety, high buildings, inactive street frontages, and public infrastructure assets in immediate need for renewal (such as roads, lanes, footpaths and paved surfaces).

In April 2008, Manly Council's Landscape and Urban design Committee considered a report on the area, and a brief that was presented to consider the urban renewal of the Whistler Street and Market Lane car park. The project then evolved into a Laneways Master plan providing a bigger picture of urban renewal for the Manly Town Centre, developed by Choi Ropiha Fighera, with McGregor + Coxall, GTA Consulting and Hill PDA on behalf of Manly Council.

MANLY2015 provides for the renewal of the Manly CBD with a combination of laneways, car park and transport strategies and options, as well as additional public domain improvements needed over the long term.

At the Manly Council Ordinary Meeting of February 14th 2011, the Mayor and Councillors resolved to place the MANLY2015 Vision on public exhibition to enable members of the public to view the concept and to provide their feedback.  Before this could occur, the Council requested further work be carried out on traffic modelling and also in developing two options for the "Village Centre" “triangle Site” in relation to the proposed new Library facilities.

Following a Strategic Workshop attended by the majority of Councillors in February 2011 and then a further report to Council on 14th February, 2011 a formal Launch Date for Consultation on MANLY2015 was set.

The exhibition material now incorporates two options for the general public to comment on in relation to the Village Centre site and Public Library building. It also highlights the findings of the independent traffic study on the MANLY2015 vision.