Northern Beaches Archives - Allambie Heights News

Brookvale Oval Vision Could Reshape Manly’s Long-Time Home

Brookvale Oval could be reshaped under Manly’s $160 million redevelopment vision, with the club proposing a larger boutique stadium and broader precinct uses aimed at keeping the Sea Eagles at their traditional Northern Beaches home.

Brookvale Oval Proposal Focuses On Long Term Renewal

Manly’s latest concept for Brookvale Oval, known commercially as 4 Pines Park, outlines a major redevelopment of the ageing venue into a modern stadium with capacity for about 22,000 to 23,000 spectators.

The ground currently holds about 17,000 people and has been the Sea Eagles’ home since 1947. While the venue remains closely tied to the club’s identity, its older infrastructure has become a central issue in long-running redevelopment discussions.

The current proposal is framed as a vision rather than a confirmed build. Further approvals, financial steps and wider engagement would still be needed before work could begin.

Manly Sea Eagles — Photo Credit: Google Maps

Older Stands Would Be Replaced Under The Manly Vision

The Bob Fulton Stand would be retained under the concept. The stand includes the club’s Centre of Excellence, which opened in 2022 after a $30 million upgrade.

Other older sections of the venue would be removed. The Jane Try, Ken Arthurson and Lyons-Menzies stands would be demolished and replaced with new undercover seating wrapping around the ground in a horseshoe-style layout.

The proposal also includes upgraded amenities, improved corporate areas and better facilities for women’s sport, junior sport and community use. The concept identifies growing maintenance demands, gaps in current facilities and the risk of the venue falling behind modern NRL requirements as issues the redevelopment would seek to address.

Housing and Classroom Ideas Broaden The Brookvale Plan

The proposal extends beyond match-day seating. Two residential towers are included on the eastern side of the precinct, with the possibility of affordable housing and homes for first responders forming part of the concept.

Education facilities are also being considered. Classroom space could be included beneath a new western stand, with St Augustine’s College and Brookvale Public School identified as nearby schools that could potentially use the space.

Manly plans to finance most of the estimated $160 million redevelopment while seeking an additional contribution of about $40 million to $50 million. The mixed-use model marks a shift from earlier redevelopment attempts that relied more heavily on outside funding.

Brookvale Oval — Photo Credit: Google Maps

Sea Eagles May Need Temporary Home During Works

If the project proceeds, construction could begin after the 2027 NRL season and may take one to two years to complete.

During that period, Manly would likely move home games away from Brookvale Oval. Allianz Stadium has been identified as the likely temporary venue for most matches, while some games could be taken to other markets, including New Zealand.

The push for renewal comes as the Sea Eagles continue to draw strong home crowds. The club has reported sellouts at 18 of its past 24 home matches, strengthening the case for more capacity and improved facilities.

Previous redevelopment ideas for Brookvale Oval have not progressed, including a $150 million proposal in 2011 that involved a 31,000-seat stadium, retail uses and residential development, followed by another major rebuild proposal four years later.

The latest vision is another attempt to modernise one of the NRL’s recognised suburban venues while preserving Manly’s connection to its long-time base on the Northern Beaches.

Published 10-June-2026

Allambie Heights Mum Remembered After Sudden Brain Aneurysm

Photo Credit: GoFundMe

Kali Blundell had recently become a mother and was spending maternity leave with her five-month-old daughter when a sudden brain aneurysm changed the course of her young family’s life in Allambie Heights.

A Young Family’s New Life In Allambie Heights

Ms Blundell, 32, had been caring for her daughter Ruby, her first child with husband Brandon, when she suffered a brain aneurysm in mid-April. She had been working out at a gym in Frenchs Forest when the medical emergency occurred.

She was taken to hospital and remained under medical care for more than a week before she died.

GoFundMe fundraiser — *Photo Credit: GoFundMe*

At the time, Ms Blundell was on maternity leave from her career as a management consultant. Her death came only five months after Ruby’s birth and after the young family had moved into their Allambie Heights home.

For Brandon and Ruby, the loss has left a future suddenly reshaped around the absence of a wife and mother.

northern beaches mother — *Photo Credit: GoFundMe*

A Relationship That Began In Their Teenage Years

Ms Blundell and Brandon had known each other since they were 15, after meeting in their home town of Canberra. Their relationship continued through their teenage years, marriage and the arrival of their daughter.

Friends have described the pair as deeply close, with Ms Blundell’s death leaving Brandon to care for Ruby while grieving the sudden loss of his wife.

The timing has added to the shock felt by those around the family. Ms Blundell had been in the early months of motherhood, a period expected to be filled with time at home with her baby daughter.

family fundraiser — *Photo Credit: GoFundMe*

Kali Blundell Remembered For Her Energy And Drive

Those who knew Ms Blundell have remembered her as ambitious, intelligent and full of life. She was known as someone who embraced new experiences, loved travelling and brought energy to the people around her.

Friends also remembered her as hardworking and determined, while still making room for music, dancing and a cheeky sense of humour. She was regarded as someone others could turn to for advice and support.

Her death has deeply affected her husband, daughter, parents, siblings and long-time friends, including a close group from her primary and high school years.

Kali Blundell — *Photo Credit: GoFundMe*

Organ Donation And Support For Brandon And Ruby

After her death, Ms Blundell’s organs were donated, helping five people.

A fundraiser has since been created by friends to support Brandon and Ruby. The money raised is intended to help with funeral and medical costs and to give Brandon support as he takes time to grieve and care for his daughter.

The campaign has also become a way for friends and loved ones to honour Ms Blundell’s life and support the family she leaves behind.

For those who knew her, Ms Blundell is being remembered not only for the sudden nature of her death, but for the warmth, drive and joy she brought to her family, friends and wider circle.

Published 6-May-2026

The Allambie Heights IGA Where Slowing Down Is the Whole Point

IGA Allambie Heights has launched what may be the northern beaches’ most counter-intuitive supermarket initiative: a dedicated lane where shoppers are actively encouraged to stop, take their time and have a proper conversation with staff, at a moment when the rest of the retail industry is pushing as hard as it can in the opposite direction.

The Community Check-In lane opened on Friday 17 April and runs weekdays from 10am to 2pm until 15 May. It is clearly marked and staffed by a team member whose role is specifically to prioritise connection over speed. Alongside the lane, the store has appointed what it is calling a Chief Chatty Officer, a title that sits somewhere between whimsical and quietly serious, because the problem it is responding to is anything but a joke.

Layne Berry holds the role and she says the idea grew directly from watching what local shoppers were already telling them with their feet.

“While so much of retail is moving towards speed and convenience, we noticed many of our local shoppers were actively choosing the staffed checkouts, not because they had to, but because they genuinely value those small, human interactions,” Berry said.

“We wanted to protect that and take it a step further. The Community Check-In creates a space where no one feels rushed, and where conversation is a meaningful part of the experience, not something you have to squeeze in.”

The Data Behind a Deceptively Simple Idea

What IGA Allambie Heights is responding to runs deeper than retail preference. Research cited by the company shows around 40 per cent of Australians experience loneliness at least some of the time. Loneliness places a $2.7 billion annual burden on the Australian healthcare system, with people over 55 accounting for more than a third of that cost.

Health experts now view loneliness as one of the country’s most pressing public health concerns. National reports on social health cite international research showing that prolonged loneliness raises the risk of premature death by 26 per cent. It is also linked to higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and depression.

Against that backdrop, a conversation at a supermarket checkout is not a small thing. For some people, particularly older residents living alone in suburbs like Allambie Heights, the Warringah Mall precinct, and the surrounding northern beaches communities, the interaction at a register may genuinely be one of the most sustained conversations of their day.

What One Shopper of Thirty Years Said

Val Jefferson has been shopping at IGA Allambie Heights for three decades. She said the Community Check-In lane reflects exactly what has always made the store matter to the neighbourhood it serves.

“For some in our community, particularly older locals, the supermarket isn’t just about groceries. It’s one of the only opportunities they have for a real conversation,” Jefferson said. “To know there’s a place where you can stop, talk and not feel hurried makes a huge difference.”

That kind of testimony is not easily manufactured by a large chain supermarket that has spent a decade rolling out self-serve lanes and contactless payment systems. It comes from a store that, by virtue of being independently owned, has the latitude to make a different kind of decision.

Berry made that connection directly. “At IGA, being independently owned allows us to truly show up for our local shoppers in ways that other supermarkets can’t,” she said. “Beyond the transaction we’re able to create moments of connection that can genuinely make someone’s day.”

Next Steps for the Trial

The trial runs until Friday 15 May 2026. IGA is watching closely, and if the Community Check-In lane proves successful at Allambie Heights, the intention is to expand the model across the broader IGA network. That means other independently owned IGA stores across Australia, including those on the northern beaches, could follow.

For now, the lane is open at 15 Grigor Place, Allambie Heights on weekdays from 10am to 2pm. For anyone who has been moving through supermarket self-serve queues feeling invisible, that might be worth a detour.

Published 30-April-2026

The Forest High School Joins E-Bike ID Tag Program to Improve Student Rider Safety

EBSA

The Forest High School at Allambie Heights has adopted E-Bike Safety Australia’s student ID tag program, requiring students who ride e-bikes to school to complete an online safety course, pass a road rules quiz with a perfect score and attach a numbered ID tag to their bike before riding in school uniform.

The Forest High joins St Luke’s Grammar School in Dee Why as the second Northern Beaches school to roll out the program, which is delivered by E-Bike Safety Australia (EBSA), a Sutherland Shire-based organisation that has been operating the model across schools in Sydney’s south, the Illawarra and the NSW far north coast. For Allambie Heights and the surrounding northern suburbs corridor, the adoption of the program places a practical safety and accountability structure around a daily behaviour that has grown rapidly and, in some cases, raised genuine concern among residents and families along local roads and shared paths.

What the Program Requires

The EBSA program asks students who want to ride their e-bike to school to first complete a two-hour online training course covering road rules, helmet use, battery safety, riding etiquette and emergency procedures. Students must achieve 100 per cent on the final quiz to receive a digital licence and their school-specific ID tag. The tag carries a unique identifier linked to the student’s name at the school and must be attached to the e-bike whenever the rider is in school uniform.

Each EBSA ID tag carries a prefix that identifies the rider’s school, allowing any member of the public who witnesses unsafe riding to contact the school directly and quote the tag number. The school then manages the response under its own student wellbeing and safety policies, with EBSA holding no individual rider data. In practice, this means the accountability mechanism operates at the school level: if a resident near Allambie Heights sees a tagged student riding dangerously on a shared path or local road, they can contact The Forest High directly. The school can then counsel the student or withdraw their riding privileges for a defined period.

An Area Where E-Bike Use Has Grown Sharply

Allambie Heights sits in the middle section of the Northern Beaches peninsula, with students travelling to The Forest High from Allambie Heights, Beacon Hill, Brookvale, Curl Curl and surrounding suburbs. For many of those students, e-bikes have become the most practical and independent way to make the school journey, bypassing bus timetables and eliminating the need for a parent to provide transport.

E-bike numbers across NSW have grown from under 10,000 sales in 2017 to an estimated 760,000 e-bikes currently in circulation statewide, and that growth is reflected visibly in the daily movement of students around Northern Beaches schools. Legal e-bikes are limited under current NSW regulations to 250 watts of continuous rated power, following a December 2025 regulatory change reinstating the EN-15194 standard, and must not exceed 25 kilometres per hour under motor assistance. However, the existing legal framework does not require any demonstrated knowledge of road rules, a licence or registration to ride, leaving a significant gap that the EBSA school program steps into at a local level.

Community concern about e-bike behaviour in the Northern Beaches has been building for several years. As early as 2022, local schools were seeking safety resources for students riding to school, with young riders observed not wearing helmets correctly, carrying passengers and travelling at speeds that created risks for pedestrians on shared paths. The introduction of the ID tag system at The Forest High responds to that concern with a structured, measurable approach rather than general awareness messaging.

What the ID Tag System Delivers

The visible ID tag changes the dynamic around student e-bike riding in two important ways. First, it ensures that every tagged student has completed a structured safety education course and demonstrated knowledge of road rules before riding to school. Second, it removes the anonymity that allows poor riding behaviour to go unchallenged. A student who rides recklessly through a residential street near Allambie Heights or along the Manly Dam shared path can be identified, reported and held accountable by the school in a way that was previously impossible.

EBSA director Ben Horwood describes the combination of education and visible identification as the missing pieces in improving e-bike safety at the community level, observing that schools which have adopted the program consistently report calmer communities, safer young riders and improved relationships between the school and its surrounding neighbourhood. The Forest High’s decision to adopt the program reflects a recognition that the school has a role to play not just within its gates but in the shared public spaces students move through on their way to and from school each day.

Growing Use of E-Bikes Among Students

For Allambie Heights residents, the program brings accountability to a form of transport that has become a significant feature of daily life in the suburb, particularly around school hours. The local road network around The Forest High connects to Wakehurst Parkway and several shared cycling and walking paths that carry both students and community members throughout the day. When student e-bike riders and pedestrians or other path users share those spaces safely, the community benefits. When they do not, the consequences fall on residents who have had limited recourse to address the behaviour until now.

The EBSA program gives those residents a direct and practical channel for reporting concerns, and it gives The Forest High the tools to respond. E-Bike Safety Australia is currently in discussion with Narrabeen Sports High School about adopting the program, and further Northern Beaches schools are expected to follow.

Schools, families or community members wanting more information about the EBSA program can visit ebikesafetyaustralia.com.au.

Published 30-March-2026.

Brookvale Karate School Tackles Domestic Violence Through Free Self-Defence Class

Photo Credit: GKR Karate

A Brookvale karate school is addressing domestic and family violence by hosting a free community self-defence class as part of a national awareness campaign.

Brookvale Dojo Hosts Free Community Self-Defence Class

GKR Karate at Westfield Warringah Mall in Brookvale will hold a free two-hour self-defence seminar on Saturday, 25 October, under its annual “Stop Domestic & Family Violence” Purple Belt Campaign. The event welcomes participants of all ages and fitness levels to learn practical safety and awareness techniques.

The class aims to teach attendees how to stay safe, avoid conflict, and de-escalate potential threats. It also promotes GKR Karate’s broader mission to use martial arts as a tool for empowerment and personal development.

Brookvale self-defence class — Photo Credit: GKR Karate

Domestic Violence Remains a Concern on the Northern Beaches

Official data from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) shows 383 domestic violence-related incidents were recorded across the Northern Beaches in the 12 months to July 2025 — an increase from 331 the previous year.

The rate of domestic violence-related assaults in the region reached 143 per 100,000 residents, compared with 494 per 100,000 in Sydney’s outer south-west and 466 in the outer west and Blue Mountains. The figures highlight the need for continued awareness and community involvement in prevention efforts.

Supporting Survivors Through RizeUp Partnership

The Brookvale seminar supports RizeUp Australia, a national organisation that assists families escaping domestic and family violence. Funds raised through the sale of purple belts, T-shirts, and merchandise will go directly to the charity’s support programs.

GKR Karate’s collaboration with RizeUp aligns with its goal of combining physical training with social awareness and advocacy for safer communities.

GKR Karate’s Approach to Empowerment and Inclusion

GKR Karate promotes respect, discipline, and confidence alongside self-defence skills. The organisation encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to train together in a family-oriented setting that values wellbeing and mutual support.

The Brookvale event is one of several across New South Wales, with seminars also being held in Glendenning, Katoomba, Wollongong, Riverstone, Penrith, Blacktown, Campbelltown, and Cameron Park.

Continuing Community Engagement in Brookvale

Through its annual Purple Belt Campaign, GKR Karate continues to advocate for domestic violence awareness and personal safety. The Brookvale class reinforces the importance of collective action and education in reducing violence and promoting resilience within the community.

Published 21-Oct-2025

Brookvale Identified as One of Northern Beaches’ Hottest Suburbs

Brookvale has been revealed as one of the most heat-vulnerable suburbs in the Northern Beaches, with just 21 per cent tree canopy coverage—among the lowest in the local government area—and experiencing urban temperatures over 9°C above reference levels.

Read: Brookvale Bus Stop Named Northern Beaches’ Worst Street Drinking Hotspot

A new study conducted by Northern Beaches Council in partnership with Western Sydney University has delivered the most detailed microclimate and urban heat mapping of Brookvale to date. The data paints a confronting picture of the suburb’s exposure to heat extremes, much of it driven by low vegetation and the dominance of hard, grey infrastructure.

Allenby Park (Photo credit: Google Street View)

Across the 30 monitored locations, the study found that temperature differences of nearly 5°C can exist within the same suburb. The highest temperature, 43.7°C, was recorded on Mitchell Road during the peak of summer on 28 January 2025. By contrast, cooler pockets were detected near Allenby Park, where denser tree coverage helps moderate the local climate.

The suburb’s industrial and mixed-use zones were consistently the hottest, with some streets having less than 10 per cent canopy cover. These areas not only heated up faster but retained heat longer into the evening, illustrating the classic symptoms of the urban heat island effect. Streets like Dale Street recorded mean air temperatures nearly 1.5°C warmer than greener locations such as Clearview Place.

Yet, the study also revealed that while trees are essential for reducing daytime heat, dense canopies can act as thermal blankets at night, trapping warm air beneath. This dual effect adds complexity to urban planning and highlights the importance of a balanced approach to vegetation and airflow.

The findings are set to directly inform Council’s Brookvale Structure Plan – Greening Strategy, which aims to tackle these heat issues by adding more shade, greenery, and water elements to public spaces. Council is also exploring further temperature monitoring subject to additional funding, to track the effectiveness of future interventions.

The project was funded by the Australian Government’s Housing Support Scheme Grant and is part of broader efforts to build climate resilience in the rapidly evolving suburb.

Read: New Streetside EV Chargers in Northern Beaches, Including Allambie Heights, Meet Surging Demand

With development pressures increasing and summer temperatures soaring, the study offers clear evidence that Brookvale’s future liveability will hinge on how quickly and effectively its urban forest can grow.

Published 13-June-2025

New Streetside EV Chargers in Northern Beaches, Including Allambie Heights, Meet Surging Demand

Allambie Heights has gained vital new public charging infrastructure through an Australian-first trial that transforms streetside power poles into EV charging stations, to address the booming uptake of electric vehicles in the Northern Beaches.

Over 3,100 EVs now registered in the region and more than 1,300 in the past year alone.

The Northern Beaches Council has joined seven other local government areas in a year-long trial called the Intellihub EV Streetside Charging Project, which has seen seven streetside power poles converted into charging points across public sites between Newport and Manly.

One of these charging stations is located on Allambie Road in Allambie Heights.

Location	Address
Manly	Ashburner St, Manly
	West Promenade, Manly
Collaroy	Anzac Ave, Collaroy
Frenchs Forest	Blackbutts Rd (opposite Malbara Cres.)
Terrey Hills	Yulong Ave, Terrey Hills
Allambie Heights	Allambie Rd, Allambie Heights
Newport	Dearin Reserve (opp. 13 Kalinya St)

Northern Beaches Mayor Sue Heins highlighted the area’s rapid growth in EV ownership, necessitating an expansion of local charging facilities.

“The Northern Beaches is one of the fastest growing areas for EV ownership, and we are working with industry partners to make sure there are enough local charging stations to keep pace with demand,” she said, expressing hope that the new chargers would encourage more residents to switch from petrol and diesel vehicles to electric.

Sue Heins Northern Beaches Council — *Photo Credit: Intellihub*

Cr Heins further stated that the council aims for a 30 percent reduction in vehicle emissions by 2038, with the transition to electric vehicles playing a crucial role in achieving this target.

The EV chargers are connected to the overhead electricity supply, and the energy use is matched with 100 percent accredited GreenPower, ensuring that for all the energy required to charge electric vehicles, an equivalent amount of certified renewable energy is put back into the grid.

EV drivers can locate and access the charging sites through the Exploren App, which displays the new chargers on public EV charging maps.

“A typical EV can get more than 200km of driving from a two-hour charge at any of these sites,” Intellihub CEO Wes Ballantine said.

If the trial proves successful, more streetside power poles could be rolled out across the country as charging stations for electric vehicles.

Published 23-May-2024