Pittwater Road Archives

$10.7m Refurbishment Approved for Dee Why RSL Club

Photo Credit: DA2025/0139

Dee Why RSL Club has received planning approval for a $10.7 million refurbishment to expand dining and gaming facilities in Dee Why.

Background on Previous Works

Dee Why RSL Club previously completed a major $100 million redevelopment in 2021, which delivered a six-level car park, new entertainment areas, multiple eateries, and a redesigned foyer and sports bar. Four years on, the club has sought further upgrades to meet continued growth in demand from members and guests.

New Dining, Gaming, and Layout Enhancements

The approved $10.7 million development will add a 140-seat a la carte Asian-style restaurant and a relocated café. The bistro will also be expanded, and the existing outdoor area on level two will be enclosed to increase usable space. These changes will raise the club’s floor area from 15,208 to 15,827 square metres, with most additions located on level two.

Internally, the gaming area will be consolidated into a single space. While the area will expand in size, the number of machines will not increase. Machines will be spaced one metre apart in response to post-pandemic preferences for greater distance between users.

Additional works include building a new communications room and adjusting internal layout to enhance functionality.

External Upgrades and Access Improvements

A key element of the plan is the relocation of the main entrance on Pittwater Road to a more central position, nearer a public bus stop. External upgrades will feature a new façade using curved aluminium panels, stone detailing, screening, and wall cladding, designed to create a visual landmark at the northern end of Dee Why Town Centre. Other outdoor works include new stairs, ramps, a roof structure, skylight, and landscaping.

Dee Why upgrade — *Photo Credit: DA2025/0139*

Focus Shift and Community Intent

The club confirmed that a previously considered childcare centre is no longer part of its development strategy. Instead, it has focused solely on enhancing the club’s core offerings. The stated aim of the project is to address growing usage demands and improve service capacity for its 77,000 members and the broader community.

Next Steps

With planning consent granted, the project will proceed to construction. Club documents state that the refurbishment is expected to create additional job opportunities and enhance operations. The upgrades are intended to meet growing usage demands and maintain the venue’s role as a local meeting place in Dee Why.

Published 22-July-2025

Police Pursuit Ends In Dee Why Beach Car Park Crash

Photo Credit: Instagram / @creaturesofmanly

On Thursday night, July 18, 2024, a police pursuit tore through local streets, ending in a crash at Dee Why Beach car park.

Nathaniel Menere, a 19-year-old Dee Why local, allegedly led police on a dangerous chase that began on Pittwater Road. Menere, driving his employer’s Toyota Camry, reportedly caught the attention of police due to excessive speeding.

The pursuit came to an end when Menere’s vehicle crash occurred with an unoccupied Toyota ute in the Dee Why Beach car park. Fortunately, no bystanders were injured in the incident.

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Local police successfully apprehended Menere and his passengers, including a 16-year-old, after a brief foot chase.

This incident is particularly concerning for locals as it was revealed that Menere had been granted bail for previous driving offences just over a week earlier. Despite being under house arrest at the time, he was allegedly able to access a vehicle and engage in this high-risk behaviour.

In a decision that may surprise many, Menere was granted bail again on Friday, July 19, under strict conditions. These include a curfew and a prohibition on driving.

Published 19-July-2024

New 9-storey Boarding House With No Car Parking Spaces to Rise on Pittwater Road

Photo Credit: Northern Beaches Council / northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au

Did you know that a nine-storey boarding house development would soon rise on Pittwater Road? The approved plans include a retail shop and three commercial tenancies but no car parking space will be provided on-site.

Approved in early June 2022, the planned $4.3-million mixed development is located at 882A Pittwater Rd, Dee Why. The nine-storey building will contain 19 boarding rooms (including three accessible rooms), a cafe, three commercial suites (one each on the ground, first and second floor), a communal living room and a manager’s room/ office. The development will not provide any car parking spaces.

Photo Credit: Northern Beaches Council / northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au

The development application, however, attracted 29 submissions during its public exhibition with several concerns raised including the lack of car parking. According to the assessment report, the proposed site has been “isolated” by all the developments around it, making the project difficult to develop in a conventional way, such as providing basement car parking.

It did note, however, that the proposed “car-free” development includes a provision of cycling parking and “excellent public transport connectivity.”

Artist’s impression of the proposed building (in yellow) — Artist’s impression of the proposed (yellow) boarding house building | Photo Credit: Northern Beaches Council / northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au

On concerns regarding the loss of view and intrusion of privacy, the report said that “assessment has found the proposal to have an acceptable impact, considering the context which is that of a dense town centre environment, subject to conditions to address amenity issues,” and thus does not warrant the refusal of the application.

The assessment report added that the use of the proposed building as a boarding house is allowed under the WLEP 2011 and that “it would be ultra vires for Council” to refuse the application based on the land use alone.