In a lengthy debate at the April 2026 Council meeting, councillors voted to defer the decision to sell public land abutting Burnt Bridge Creek until the May meeting, once neighbouring residents have been consulted.
The land at 2 Bangaroo Street, North Balgowlah, which borders Burnt Bridge Creek, has been recommended for sale as Council works to rationalise ‘underutilised’ assets.
Council proposed two options after the first attempt to sell the block of land in 2022 was suspended after community outcry to save the bushland along Burnt Bridge Creek.
However, Kristyn Glanville, Greens Councillor for Curl Curl Ward, noted there had been no public consultation following the December 2022 motion which required Council to conduct one. Council is not required by law to consult the public prior to selling Council-owned property, and didn’t consult the public when it agreed to sell the Vuko Place, a former-Pittwater Council warehouse.
Nicholas Beaugeard, YNBIT Councillor for Curl Curl Ward, and Ruth Robins, YNBIT Councillor for Narrabeen Ward, attempted to ensure the public consultation was with the wider community, in line with Council’s regular Have Your Say consultations, but this was narrowly rejected (eight votes against the motion) in favour of Cr Glanville’s recommendation for Council to only be required to consult the neighbours.
Council will have the next month to invite landowners adjoining the property to a briefing meeting on Council’s proposed sale and have an opportunity to ask questions around the size of the Burnt Bridge Creek buffer zone and what likely development would take place in the event of the sale.
During the discussions, Mayor Sue Heins highlighted that due to the new Council meeting practice guidelines passed down by the NSW Government, councillors don’t know what they’re voting on until the Council papers are published due to councillors no longer receiving briefings on items on the agenda.
Our earlier coverage:
The block of land is 4,547m2 and includes native vegetation that functions as part of the riparian corridor (a critical buffer between land and the creek to protect water quality, manage stormwater flooding and provide habitats for fauna and flora). The block of land currently has a home on it, which is leased.
Option one would see 3,011m2 land sold off to developers for low-density residential dwellings (one to two-storey homes, or dual occupancies), with 1,536m2 kept as public reserve (or a creek buffer zone).
Option two is to have an even bigger creek buffer zone at 1,965m2 with developers only getting access to 2,582m2 of land to build on.
“The clear feedback from residents [in 2022 when Council first tried to sell the block of land] was that people wanted a greater buffer for the creek which is why Council has provided the second option if Councillors want to go with that,” Kristyn Glanville, Greens Councillor for Curl Curl Ward explained to Manly Observer.
“I think bigger is usually better when it comes to having a buffer between development and waterways.
“Vegetation and less hard surfaces help with the filtration of stormwater entering the waterway and to slow down the velocity of water entering the waterway.
“It also presents more resilience to challenges like extreme weather events and local inundation by putting more distance between the creek and nearby houses.”
Cr Glanville added that the second option, while a better environmental outcome, would mean fewer dollars for the land sold simply due to the amount of land available for developers.
She encouraged residents to get in contact with their local councillor to express their views prior to Tuesday’s (21 April) meeting, where the motion will be debated.
While no price has been disclosed, the land (which includes the creek buffer zone) was last valued at $3,050,000. Prior to the sale, Council will need to spend $250,000 to pay for the cost of moving a stormwater drainage pipe. This cost will be recouped by the proceeds from the sale.
Not the first time
In 2022, Good for Manly Councillor Candy Bingham called for the suspension of Council’s sale of the block of land.
There was fierce community outcry against Council’s lack of public consultation prior to putting out an Expression of Interest for the land and for not providing councillors the space to debate the proposed sale.
But now, as Council needs the cash, Council has amended both its process and possibly what’s up for sale (Option 1 is similar to what was proposed in 2022).
Cr Bingham said this time around she was happy with the proposal as Council “had done a thorough assessment and consulted experts in regard to the riparian corridor.”
IPART refresher: Why is council selling off its land?
In 2025, Council sought and was granted a 25 per cent rate rise (you can dive deep into that here).
As part of the rate rise, Council has a formal agreement with IPART (Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal) to build a dedicated financial reserve to $10 million within the next five years to reduce pressure on rates, provide alternative funding sources for priority community outcomes and ensure money generated from property assets is reinvested into the community rather than absorbed into general revenue.
In short, the funds generated from selling off under-utilised assets will be used for community infrastructure, environmental acquisitions, and commercial development projects.
In February this year, councillors moved to sell off the former Pittwater Council warehouse in Warriewood despite outcry from Pittwater Council loyalists (you can read that in detail here).
Manly Observer will update this article following Council’s 21 April meeting to report on the councillors’ final decision.
Refresh your memory on the topic:
Northern Beaches Council moves to sell former Pittwater asset to support Council’s finances
