Northern Beaches councillors officially voted to end outdoor seating at Rollers Bakehouse in Rialto Lane, Manly, last night, citing safety issues and non-compliance with Council’s outdoor dining guidelines.
It was a narrow vote against a rescission motion brought forward by Cr Vincent De Luca after an equally narrow majority had voted a month earlier in favour of removing the seating.
The seating was never formally approved and is not compliant with Council’s outdoor seating guidelines (which require greater path space), but it was permitted to remain for a nine-month trial last year following political and customer support.
There were no incidents involving the seating during the trial period. We understand, however, that the laneway bollards are consistently hit (there are 21 in total, which exist regardless of the seating arrangement). There were no performance indicators for the trial, but staff have maintained the area is not safe for outdoor dining and cannot be made so because of the practical need for the lane’s use for delivery vehicles to Coles, homes, and businesses along the Corso.
“Let’s be honest. Rialto Lane cannot be both a service lane and a dining precinct,” remarked Councillor Nicholas Beaugeard at the last meeting.
“Let’s be honest. Rialto Lane cannot be both a service lane and a dining precinct”
Before the vote, Rollers owner James Sideris gave a personal address imploring the councillors to allow his successful business to continue as it is.
Mr Sideris told Council, “I’ve been operating businesses in Rialto lane for almost eight years, and today we employ around 180 people. During the nine-month trial and in seven years of Rollers there there’s been no complaints, no injuries and no issues whatsoever. By definition, a successful trial should lead to continuation.”
Mr Sideris added “Council’s decision to remove seating…discourages investment and undermines trust…Currently, we have five retail venues in the Northern Beaches Council area. My family and I have strong ties to the Manly area for three generations. We have exciting growth plans in both New South Wales and interstate and I take pride that the bones of these businesses are born in Manly and reside their HQs here on the back of Rialto Lane.”
“I take pride that the bones of these businesses are born in Manly and reside their HQs here on the back of Rialto Lane.”
Council reports have stated the risk is too high for Council to allow the seating to remain because of the potential public liability risk if someone is harmed while dining outside.
As a result, a majority of councillors voted to end the trial and remove seating last month. Cr Vincent De Luca then put in a rescission motion given that there were two councillors absent from the vote – Cr Kristyn Glanville (who was giving birth) and Cr Joeline Hackman (who left the meeting at 11pm before the vote). Last night, Cr Glanville voted for the rescission motion (which would allow the seating to remain), and Hackman voted against it, so the original vote was preserved.
However, Cr Hackman – who stood for the state seat of Manly against Liberal MP James Griffin at the last election – this morning wrote to Manly Observer to say she did not think the decision would end the option for outdoor seating at the premises.
“This isn’t a vote to end outdoor dining – this was a trial that was invented on the chamber floor in June 2024 and proper process should have been followed to evaluate all options such as timed access, reducing the speed in Rialto Lane to 10km/h or using traffic calming measures. I look forward to working with Rollers and the Traffic Committee to find a great solution that helps us have our croissants and sunshine too.”
Council staff last night said timed access would not be permissible under new state laws and that speed was not an issue for the lane, given that congestion meant vehicles are usually at a crawling pace.
Cr Hackman’s statement also included: “I want the outdoor seating to stay at Rollers but I’d like to see a compromise between a great local business and the constraints that council has to adhere to if a business sets up in a service lane used by trucks. I’d like to help Rollers apply for outdoor dining, just like any other business would, and to apply to the Traffic Committee to mitigate any liabilities so a common-sense outcome can be achieved for the community.”
Cr De Luca said the decision would have a profound effect on a great local business and aimed his criticism at Cr Hackman for attempting to “wax” the issue to sound like it wasn’t a vote to end outdoor dining, when it was. “How can she expect to be elected as MP for Manly when she ignores the community wishes,” he remarked.
Cr De Luca said it was disgraceful that Council had “ignored the community’s wishes that Rollers be able to continue and that no evidence was presented that there was a safety risk associated with Rollers.”
The majority of Rollers’ seating remains, which is undercover and adjacent to the main counter.
The rescission motion vote was as follows (noting a vote in favour would allow the seating to remain outside):
In Favour Cr Ethan Hrnjak Cr Kristyn Glanville Cr Bonnie Harvey Cr Sarah Grattan Cr Bob Filtinan Cr Vincent De Luca Cr Sunny Singh
Against Cr Ruth Robins Cr Jody Williams Cr Joeline Hackman Cr Nicholas Beaugeard Deputy Mayor Candy Bingham Cr Rowie Dillon Cr Miranda Korzy Mayor Sue Heins
