A new upgraded boardwalk at Manly Dam was officially opened to the public today and aims to provide an accessible walking experience through nature for visitors.
Northern Beaches Mayor, Sue Heins, unveiled the walkway this afternoon, 21 November, in front of fellow Council members as well as multiple state government officials and groups involved in the project’s construction.
“This new boardwalk will not only enhance the enjoyment and appreciation of the natural surroundings, of which you can hear plenty of the wildlife out there right now but also provide access for people who may struggle with their mobility to enjoy the same beautiful setting,” Mayor Heins shared.
The path at Manly Warringah War Memorial State Park (aka Manly Dam) spans 400m across the water’s edge. It has multiple viewing platforms and a wide and elevated walkway that can easily be traversed by young children, the elderly, and people in wheelchairs.
“It’s great that it’s got platforms and seating areas as well. And I love the education area, which we know schools will be using. They can be facing out onto the water while their teachers are showing them the area,” Mayor Heins told Manly Observer.
“And I heard that there was a wallaby and a goanna on it this morning before we even opened!” Manly Ward Councillor Candy Bingham added, standing at the end of the walking track.
Manly Dam is Sydney’s largest freshwater lake. It is home to over 300 native plant species, 80 species of birds, and multiple threatened fauna species, including the Heath Monitor, Red-crowned Toadlet, Grey-headed Flying Fox, and Eastern Bent-wing Bat.
The community had the opportunity to comment on the concept design with Council declaring most respondents supported a safer pedestrian walkway from the road with strong support for a careful approach to the natural landscape.
The Boardwalk was built by contractor RARE Environmental. The consulting company designed the track to fit with the terrain in a way which was sensitive to the existing natural environment and protective of the threatened species in the area.
“It’s just worthwhile for so many people who have accessibility problems or are scared to walk along that skinny roadway,” Mayor Heins said.
“Well, I used to walk along that skinny roadway and I’d be terrified the whole time, whereas, on the pathway, you can actually relax, enjoy the environment,” Cr Bingham added.
The project took ten months and cost $2.6 million to build. It was funded with grants from the State Government’s Public Spaces Legacy Program and Metropolitan Greenspace Program, combined with funding from Northern Beaches Council.
Although Council says most respondents were happy with the design, the Council’s elected Green members weren’t quite on board.
Curl Curl Ward Councillor Kristyn Glanville says she is still quite sceptical of the construction’s effects on Manly Dam’s surrounding environment.
“If only we could kind of set up a little survey with like the kookaburras and possums and goannas and sort of get there, have your say page about how they feel,” Cr Glanville said standing with her counterpart Greens Councillors Ethan Hrnjak from Frenchs Forest Ward and Bonnie Harvey from Manly Ward.
“I think it is good that we have another bush area that is more accessible to people in a wheelchair. My sister’s a disability worker and actually tells me that Manly Dam has one of the few public wheelchair hoists in a Council public bathroom.
“Whenever you’re doing clearing works in an environmentally sensitive area, there’s a lot of discussion around what the impacts of that will be on the wildlife. So I’m hoping that it can regenerate around there, and the wildlife will kind of get back to business as usual.”
Manly Dam is often used for cycling, bushwalks and picnics. The new track aims to allow all these activities to be better accessible. Council are also furthering the project in the area in order to add swimming to that list of accessible activities.
Construction of a water access platform on the shoreline of Section 1 Picnic Area will begin this month and is expected to be completed in time for the summer holidays.
The plan is to create safer access to the water for swimmers, paddlers and those with reduced mobility.
A new accessible pathway will then link the water access platform to the accessible amenities and parking bays.
