The Boathouse at Shelly Beach has applied to change its liquor licence, with residents saying it will turn the restaurant into a late-night bar.
Their current permit already allows them to serve alcohol with a meal until Midnight, Monday to Saturday, and 10pm on Sundays.
Their application with NSW Liquor and Gaming is for a Primary Service Authorisation – to sell alcohol to patrons, without a meal within these same hours.
While The Boathouse notes in its application that the primary focus of the venue will remain food and dining, some locals are convinced it’s a slippery slope to becoming a bar or nightclub.
Julie Meldrum, co-founder of Marine Parade Action Alliance (MPAA), told Manly Observer, the group had three main concerns around the application.
“The anti-social behaviour associated with alcohol-fuelled behaviour increased by a lack of food; the negative impact it would have on the sensitive, protected environment; and it’s a residential area, not the Manly Entertainment Precinct,” she said.
Since raising awareness of The Boathouse’s application, MPAA claims it has received concerns from “hundreds of residents”.
MPAA are also unhappy with the lack of awareness of the application.
According to NSW Liquor and Gaming, applications for a Primary Service Authorisation require the applicant to notify neighbours within 50 metres of the licensed premises. MPAA said only two neighbours reported receiving notices.
MPAA also said the application sign (to be displayed at the venue to notify the community) doesn’t stand out enough; Manly Observer noted it was displayed at the front entrance.
We have also viewed a letter to residents from The Boathouse Group CEO Antony Jones advising of their application.
“The purpose of this application is to provide greater flexibility in how we serve our guests, allowing the responsible service of alcohol without the requirement that it be always accompanied by a meal,” the letter continues.
“With that said, our venue will continue to operate with a strong focus on providing high-quality food and a relaxed, coastal dining experience.
“The intention behind this application is to make visits to the venue a little more enjoyable and flexible, whether that’s for a quick drink, a casual catch-up, or time spent before or after a meal.
“We understand that changes to licensing can raise questions, and we want to assure you that careful consideration has been given especially when it comes to risk mitigation and compliance at every stage. Our goal is, and always has been, to balance a high-quality hospitality experience with respect for our local community and environment.”
Drinks without meals
While The Boathouse declined to make an official statement for the article, they explained to Manly Observer that the application was about giving their patrons options while attending their venue.
They said it was about people being able to have a glass of wine or a cold beer while overlooking Shelly Beach without needing to have a meal. As per their application, it was also about “adding to the vibrancy by enabling The Boathouse to operate in a flexible manner”.
But not all are convinced.
“Shelly Beach is a no-alcohol zone, and it is extraordinary that this is even being considered,” Merrilee Linegar, another co-founder of MPAA, told us.
“If the application is approved, the venue is wide open to becoming a nightclub,” added Ms Meldrum.
“By not providing food with drinks, it increases the risk of anti-social behaviour fuelled by alcohol, and this will increase the noise coming from the venue, which is amplified because Shelly Beach is a natural amphitheatre, and it will impact the residents.
“Not only that, how will they get home? There is only one road in and out, so they’ll either drive over the limit which will put more pressure on our over-stretched police, or they’ll walk on the road which is unsafe, or the pathway, which in its current state would also be unsafe.”
Both Ms Linegar and Ms Meldrum, who both reside locally, explained that things usually quieten down from around 5pm or 6pm in the area. They are concerned that this licence will mean more light and noise until midnight. It should be noted that the Boathouse already trades until this period with few issues.
“The recent introduction of Lime e-bikes will mean Shelly Beach will become more accessible, but then we’ll have these bikes dumped on Shelly Beach, or they’ll ride them home over the drinking limit,” Ms Linegar added.
In The Boathouse’s application, they conclude that “the overall social impact of the application is objectively unlikely to be detrimental to the well-being of the local or broader community”.
“The overall social impact of the application is objectively unlikely to be detrimental to the well-being of the local or broader community”
Negative impacts on the environment
MPAA holds concerns for the fauna and flora that the Boathouse is in the middle of. There are the marine reserve (Cabbage Tree Bay) and national park, which Ms Linegar said are environmentally sensitive areas.
“First, there is the risk of increased rubbish which finds its way onto the beach, which is a family-friendly beach, and a risk of having rubbish and broken glass when kids turn up for their swim in the morning, not to mention the rubbish making its way into the water and harming the sea life,” she explained.
“Then there are several protected species that live in the area, like the Brown Antechinus, Long-nosed Bandicoots, Eastern Pygmy Possums, a bat community and echidnas, and they’re very sensitive to noise and light, particularly in the evening which could seriously negatively impact their communities and harm their breeding.”
Ms Linegar said they’ve already witnessed Lime e-bikes discarded in the ocean.
Submissions
Submissions to the application close at 11:59pm on Thursday, 7 May 2026, and can be made here. While personal details will be collected, there is an option to keep them confidential.
As the application is with NSW Liquor and Gaming, Northern Beaches Council has no say on the outcome of the application but can send in a submission if it so chooses. When Manly Observer asked if Council intended to prepare a submission, they said they were aware of the application.
