Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Friday 7 February 1936, page 11


MANLY WHARF. I

Proposed New Structure.

REQUEST TO GOVERNMENT

The Manly Municipal Council has asked the Government for permission to reconstruct the Manly.wharf, because the present structure is dilapidated,--dangerous,--and insufficient for requirement,. It . is ? proposed "to spend about £30,000 on the.new structure. Tile Port Jack-son and Manly Steamship Co., Ltd., has offered to guarantee the total cost and to pay to the Manly Council an annual rental on a 25 years' lease which will meet interest. and sinking fund on the loan as well as provide an addi-tional annual sum sufficient to cover all main-tenance charges.

The Maritime Services Board has objected to the proposal, because it would mean a loss of revenue of more than £2000 a year and the scrapping of the present structure, which stands in the books of the board at about £10,000.''

The Assistant Minister (Mr. Shand), on be-half of the Premier (Mr. Stevens) yesterday re-ceived a deputation from the Manly Council.

The Mayor of Manly (Alderman Nolan) said that the scheme provided for the construction of a covered wharf on which boat, tram, and bus passengers would converge. A large portion of the present wharf was constructed more than 50 years ago, but a sinking fund to pay off the cost was not started until 1928. The wharf had actually been paid off years ago, and the annual rental now represented clear profit.

Alderman Miller said the people of the Shire of Warringah as well as those of Manly wanted the new wharf. Last year new buildings erected in Manly cost £385,000. There had been big development along the whole Beafront to Palm Beach. It was unjust that the people of Manly and district should be pen-alised by the antiquated methods of book-keeping adopted by the old Harbour Trust. The present wharf was not only inadequate, but was also unsafe. The Premier (Mr. Stevens), in a letter to the Manly Council in November, 1934, said he was Informed that the structure was so old that it would have to he completely reconstructed. That was what the council wanted to do, but without cost to the Government. If they were to wait until the present debt on the wharf was written off by the sinking fund, they could not expect a now wharf until 1086. The ferry company proposed next month to reduce the travelling time to 25 minutes, and to reduce fares. Kvery time a boat was tied up at the present wharf in rough seas there was danger of portion of the wharf being dragged away.

Mr. Shand, in reply, paid that new points were made by the deputation which had not previously been before the Government, and he would place them before the Premier. The difficulty seemed to be the amortisation of the £70,000 debt on the wharf and the loss of revenue to the Maritime Services Board. He would support favourable consideration hy the Government of the deputation's request.