Northern Beaches Community Hub master plan endorsed

The Northern Beaches Community Hub will be council’s largest community infrastructure project in more than 20 years.

Today’s endorsement by an ordinary meeting clears the way for detailed design to start on the first stages of the Northern Beaches Community Hub.

The project will be built on a parcel of land council purchased last year opposite Northern Beaches State High School.

Deputy Mayor Karen May, who chairs a Northern Beaches Community Reference Group, said stage 1A would include a multi-purpose undercover area, nature play and associated infrastructure.

She said this stage was estimated to cost around $10.75 million, requiring $4.25 million in council funds.

“We’ve previously received funding of $6.5 million through the Federal Government for this project.”

That Federal Government funding is through the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities’ Development Grants Program.

Future stages include a library, with an aquatic facility also planned in later stages.

Cr May said the high-level cost estimate for stages one and two of the master plan was
$52 million, but this could be broken down to different sub-stages, depending on funding.

“The detailed design work will provide a shovel-ready project to enable us to seek more funding from the State and Federal governments,’’ she said.

Cr May said there had been extensive community consultation on the Northern Beaches Community Hub project, including a concept master plan developed in 2020.

“We also set up the Northern Beaches Community Hub Community Reference Group and an agencies group to help guide the master plan process,’’ she said. “Stakeholders on those groups helped provide us with excellent feedback and ideas to ensure such a facility will best meet the needs of the Northern Beaches.”

Residents can view the master plan online or in person at Dudley Denny City Library and Gordon White Library.