Almost seven years after Mounties Group first promised to return the former eastern carpark at Harbord Diggers back to the community, a development application has been lodged.
At the time of publication, Council confirmed staff are in the process of uploading documentation to the online portal. Once loaded, it’ll be the first time plans for the site have been shared publicly.
The land at Crown Reserve 145 beside McKillop Park, just metres from the Duke Kahanamoku statue and Surfers Walk within the Manly–Freshwater World Surfing Reserve, was used as a construction compound during the redevelopment of Harbord Diggers.
Under its agreement with NSW Crown Lands (who are the landowners), Mounties was required to rehabilitate the site and re-establish it for “community use” once construction ended in 2019.
Today, the carpark remains fenced off and out of bounds.
“Mounties completed its redevelopment seven years ago and has enjoyed the benefits of that redevelopment ever since,” Your Northern Beaches Independent Team (YNBIT) Curl Curl ward councillor Joeline Hackman said.
“The community is still waiting for Mounties to fulfil its commitment to rehabilitate the public land it used.
“It is time for Harbord Diggers to fulfil its commitment, lodge the development application and deliver the park it promised.”
At the time of the interview with Cr Hackman in August, no DA had yet been lodged.
How we got here
Mounties have been working to restore the carpark to community use over the last few years, with Crown Lands and Northern Beaches Council confirming in 2025 that the best pathway forward was to submit a Development Application (DA).
Member for Manly, James Griffin, at the request of Mayor Sue Heins, organised a meeting with Crown Lands, Mounties, Curl Curl ward councillors and council staff on 14 August 2025.
Greens Curl Curl ward councillor Kristyn Glanville said she clearly remembers attending the meeting as she was 40 weeks pregnant at the time and went straight to hospital afterwards to give birth to her son.
“He has just turned one, and while he has learnt to walk in that time, the park remediation isn’t even at a crawling pace,” she told Manly Observer.
“The community has been patient for so long, and prime community land is being fenced off and residents locked out.”
Council confirmed that they have maintained ongoing and constructive discussions with Mounties Group and other relevant stakeholders throughout the process.
However, Cr Hackman said she still hasn’t received a documented list of agreed actions or a clear timetable from that August 2025 meeting.
“A meeting is only useful if commitments are recorded, responsibilities are assigned and the promised work follows,” she said.
Where things stand
According to a Northern Beaches Council memo to councillors dated 26 August 2026, responding to a council resolution from its 18 August meeting, the site’s rehabilitation obligation comes from a separate agreement between Mounties and Crown Lands. Because the land is Crown land, landowner’s consent must come from the Minister for Lands before a DA can be lodged.
A spokesperson for the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) confirmed Crown Lands received Mounties’ application for landowner’s consent on 8 July 2026. A small part of the site is subject to an Aboriginal land claim under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983, triggering a consultation process with the NSW Aboriginal Land Council that runs up to 60 days from 21 July 2026. DPHI said the claim itself doesn’t need to be resolved before consent is granted. Crown Lands instead has to assess whether the proposed works would materially alter the land in a way that could complicate a future transfer if the claim succeeds.
After some technical difficulty with Crown Lands accessing the Mounties submitted documents, Crown Lands confirmed they have approved landowner’s consent as of the 31 August 2026.
Council confirmed to Manly Observer that Mounties had formally lodged the DA, however, we are yet to cite the documentation as it’s still in the process of being uploaded.
Seven years too late
Local community group, Friends of Freshwater has campaigned for the conversion of the eastern carpark into green open space since 2020.
In October 2023, they participated in a preliminary consultation on plans prepared for Mounties by Arcadia Landscape Architecture. The group told residents a DA was expected within months, however, no DA was submitted. In June 2025, Friends of Freshwater publicly described the continuing delays as “entirely unnecessary and unacceptable” and called for the lodgement of a DA.
“For almost six years, Friends of Freshwater has publicly campaigned for this fenced-off Crown land to be restored and returned to the community,” Friends of Freshwater Chairperson, Denise Goldstein said.
“We participated constructively in consultation, reviewed Mounties’ preliminary plans and invited local residents to contribute their ideas. We were told a Development Application was coming, but it still has not been lodged.
“This land overlooks Freshwater Headland, beside the World Surfing Reserve, one of Freshwater’s most important cultural, environmental and recreational places.
“The delays are unnecessary and unacceptable. It is time for Mounties to lodge the DA, complete the remediation and return this wonderful public space to the people of Freshwater.”
Cr Hackman, who made the comments before the DA had been lodged, added that Mounties had not met with other stakeholders or shared plans with the community for input.
“Leaving part of the headland fenced off for seven years is completely inconsistent with the respect this significant place deserves,” she said.
“Keep the promise. Restore the land. Return this magnificent headland as a park for the entire community.”
So, what’ll be proposed?
Manly Observer has asked, but Mounties remain tight-lipped on the plans.
They have confirmed they are sticking to their agreement with Crown Lands to restore the carpark “for community use.”
“Mounties Group remains committed to restoring the former eastern carpark site for community use,” a Mounties spokesperson said.
“Significant planning, consultation and technical assessment work has been completed, and the Development Application is now ready for lodgement.”
At the time of publication, the DA was yet to be uploaded on Council’s online portal. Manly Observer will report on the details of the DA once made publicly available.
