A plan has been announced to enhance safety and traffic flow at a key intersection in Cromer. The plan focuses on South Creek Road, Fisher Road North, and Middleton Road and aims to benefit all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists.
Recognising the area’s high traffic volume from various modes of transport, the project prioritises safety and connectivity for all users. The planned upgrades aim to improve vehicle flow, alleviate congestion, reduce traffic speed, support freight movement in the Cromer industrial zone, and improve access to public transport.
Key to the plan is the construction of two new roundabouts and the conversion of an existing zebra crossing into a raised pedestrian crossing. The roundabouts, designed to accommodate heavy vehicles, will incorporate pedestrian refuges to enhance crossing safety.
Proposed Works
New roundabout at South Creek Road and Middleton Road with pedestrian refuges
New roundabout at Fisher Road North and South Creek Road with a pedestrian refuge
Replacement of the existing zebra crossing on Fisher Road North with a raised pedestrian crossing
The Northern Beaches Council emphasises that an internal traffic modelling study has been undertaken and supports the concept plan. This study analysed traffic and pedestrian counts, road geometry, and the impact on speed and traffic delays.
Community input on the proposed changes are now being sought. Residents and stakeholders are invited to share their views and help shape the future of this vital Cromer intersection.
Police have confirmed that bones unearthed at a construction site in Cromer are non-human after workers discovered the bones under a concrete slab near the entrance of a workshop in the Northern Beaches hub.
Initial concerns prompted forensic experts to assess whether the remains were human. The bones, now identified as animal remains, were found during renovations at a motor vehicle repair business.
Northern Beaches Police were alerted and attended the scene at a commercial premises on South Creek Rd at around 10:45 a.m. on 19 June 2024. On Wednesday night, police secured the area opposite St Matthews Farm Reserve and skate park as forensic teams worked to clarify the nature of the bones.
Police issued a statement confirming that the remains were not human, and no further investigation would be necessary.
The automotive repair shop where the discovery was made resumed its normal business operations, with customers returning as early as 7:00 a.m.
A new adventure hub has recently opened its doors in Cromer, promising to take thrill-seekers on an unforgettable journey. Bounce Cromer, the latest addition to the Bounce family, is a 2,300 square metre facility that was built in a former industrial park.
The centrepiece of this adrenaline-fueled venue is the “Free-jump arena,” a sprawling space that features 50 interconnected trampolines, tumble tracks, and banked walls.
Photo credit: BOUNCEinc Cromer/Google Maps
Sports enthusiasts can also indulge in a game of dodgeball or shoot hoops on the full-height basketball rings. But the real draw is the giant soft landing area, where visitors can unleash their inner daredevil and experience the thrill of massive airborne stunts, all whilst practising their aerial moves in safety.
Photo credit: BOUNCEinc Cromer/Google Maps
For those seeking an extra challenge, the X-park is the place to be. This obstacle-filled circuit offers various levels of difficulty, allowing for personal progression and creative expression. Adventurers can test their balance and flexibility on the “high ropes,” navigating a series of twists and turns whilst suspended in the air.
Photo credit: BOUNCEinc Cromer/Google Maps
Younger visitors haven’t been left out either. The miniBOUNCE Zone is an interactive play area designed exclusively for walking-age children up to 5 years old, ensuring that the whole family can enjoy the Bounce experience.
One of the must-try attractions at Bounce Cromer is “The Wall,” where high-performance trampolines are paired with walls of various heights, allowing for freestyle trick experimentation.
Bounce Cromer’s opening follows the successful launch of the brand’s Sydney venue at Homebush in 2023.
Photo credit: BOUNCEinc Cromer/Google Maps
Impressed by the overwhelming response, the owners decided to expand to Cromer, drawn to the suburb’s “vibrant energy and passion for adventure.”
Conveniently located near public transportation and boasting an onsite cafe, Bounce Cromer is poised to become a new hub for thrill-seekers and family fun. The venue is open from Monday to Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Saturday, 9:00 am to 7 pm, and Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
A new era has dawned on the former Roche Pharmaceuticals site in Cromer, with the official opening of the Northern Beaches Business Park marking the transformation of the area into a thriving hub for businesses and the community.
The opening, held on 15 Nov 2023, commenced with an Indigenous Smoking Ceremony, a symbolic gesture of respect and connection to the land. Raymond Weatherall, a member of the Gamilaraay Nation and the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, performed the ceremony, acknowledging the traditional custodians of the area.
The park’s development has brought together key stakeholders, including Richard Crookes Construction (site developers), EG Funds Management (project investors), Wakehurst MP Michael Regan, and Northern Beaches Mayor Sue Heins. Their collaborative efforts have resulted in a vibrant space that honors the site’s heritage while embracing innovation and sustainability.
A Hub for Youth and Community
The Northern Beaches Business Park encompasses 11 warehouses, four offices, an on-site café, and a self-storage unit, all carefully designed to integrate with the existing landscape. The 26,902 square metre site preserves key structures and associated features of the former Roche headquarters, including the hexagonal tower, an iconic landmark since the 1960s.
Several of the new leaseholders will cater to the younger demographic, bringing exciting facilities to the Northern Beaches.
Precision Golf, an indoor golf driving range and mini putt putt course, swung open its doors on 20 November, offering a fun-filled activity for all ages.
Carlile Swimming is setting up its third learn-to-swim center on the Northern Beaches, providing essential aquatic skills to the community.
Bounce Trampolines, known for their freestyle trampolining adventures, will also be adding their presence to the park.
EG Director Roger Parker acknowledged Roche’s long-standing presence in Cromer, highlighting the company’s contributions to the community.
“From Roche’s first building on this site in 1964, until the business relocated in 2017, many important and life-saving medications were made here,” he stated.
Mr. Parker also expressed gratitude for the support of the Northern Beaches Council in approving the project.
“With their great support, we’re delighted that this first stage of repurposing the Roche site to create the Northern Beaches Business Park is now officially complete.”
Local officials also commended the project’s commitment to conservation.
“The design of the original building and its integration with the landscaping were unique at the time,” Mayor Heins remarked. “I’m pleased to see that this heritage is being embraced and continued.”
The Northern Beaches Business Park stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation. It represents a transformation not only of a physical space but also of the community’s aspirations. The park’s diverse mix of businesses and facilities promises to revitalize the area, fostering economic growth and enhancing the quality of life for residents.
Plans have been submitted for Bounce Cromer, an awe-inspiring indoor sports facility that is set to redefine the local sports scene with an array of adrenaline-pumping activities and state-of-the-art amenities.
The sports facility being planned for 4-8 Inman Road, Cromer would incorporate as many as 50 trampolines, so visitors can defy gravity and bounce to their heart’s content.
Additionally, Bounce Cromer will feature two basketball courts, catering to both amateur hoopsters and aspiring athletes looking to sharpen their skills. Adventure enthusiasts will find themselves scaling new heights on an expansive climbing wall, whilst dodgeball enthusiasts can engage in friendly competition on a dedicated court. To add to the excitement, an exhilarating obstacle course will challenge participants to push their limits.
Bounce in Macgregor, Queensland (Photo credit: Raymond Tao/Google Maps)
Not only will the indoor sports facility provide endless fun and fitness opportunities, but it also promises to stimulate the local economy and create employment opportunities. Bounce Inc’s track record of success, with 33 venues spread across 16 countries, including approximately 15 in Australia, demonstrates the company’s commitment to delivering exceptional experiences.
Photo credit: Paul Stewart/Google Maps
By introducing this facility in Cromer, the project seeks to bring new jobs and bolster the local economy whilst retaining the area’s industrial heritage within a beautifully landscaped setting.
Plans for Bounce Cromer (Photo credit: 2M Creative)
The $1 million investment reflects the commitment to delivering state-of-the-art equipment, ensuring a world-class experience for everyone who steps foot inside the facility.
The development comprises the change of use of an existing commercial development to accommodate the indoor trampoline centre.
Precision Golf announced its plans to build a 25-Trackman driving range at Inman Rd in Cromer by 2023. The company lodged DA2022/1807 in early November, detailing plans for the $2-million state-of-the-art facility. Northern Beaches Council is still assessing the development application as of press time.
Once approved, the Trackman at Cromer will also feature an 18-hole indoor putt-putt course, putting greens, simulator ad club fitting bays, function rooms for parties and meetings, infrared saunas, warm-up gym area, showers and changing rooms with lockers, and a golf retail store.
Photo Credit: DA2022/1807
Photo Credit: DA2022/1807
Precision Golf will also offer coaching services for individuals or groups with an in-house golf Osteopath who will guide and train golfers with the proper techniques.
“With people now taking up golf more than ever – we realised the health benefits of 18 holes of golf and much research has been done on poor habits, lack of flexibility and proper warm up techniques, our in house Osteo specialising in golf related issues and preventative measures is on hand and at your disposal,” Precision Golf stated in its announcement.
The Cromer indoor golf course will cater to both beginners and professionals, as well as families or groups who love this sport. If approved, the site plans to open from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. from Monday to Saturday and 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sundays.
The proposed upgrade of the Northern Beaches Secondary College sportsfield in Cromer is one step closer to reality as Council reviews the feedback from the community in preparation for formally lodging a development application.
Based on the 2017 Northern Beaches Sportsground Strategy report shared by Council, there is a shortage of sportsfields in the Northern Beaches.
To remedy the shortage, short-term measures were proposed to be undertaken to improve the capacity of existing sports grounds including the installation of lights, drainage improvement and reconfiguration of the fields.
Concept and lighting plans | Photo Credit: Northern Beaches Council / yoursay.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au
The proposed upgrade of the Northern Beaches Secondary College (NBSC) sportsfield at 120 South Creek Road was submitted for community feedback in the second quarter of 2022. The feedback period ended on 24 July 2022.
A community engagement report will soon be published as Council after completion of the review.
Concept and lighting plans | Photo Credit: Northern Beaches Council / yoursay.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au
The Council report also identified other opportunities to utilise school sites for community use after school hours. Hence, Council entered into a 10-year licencing agreement with the Department of Education to use the NBSC Cromer Campus playing field for community sports after school hours.
As part of the agreement, Council will improve the sportsfield facilities which will include the installation of four new light posts for additional evening training and competition opportunities.
Upgrades to the amenities area are likewise included in the proposal. These upgrades include the drainage system, irrigation, new turf, repositioning of the goal posts and installation of water fountains.
In 2018, playgrounds, ovals and sports courts in 81 public schools were opened for community use during school holidays as part of the expanded “Share Our Space” program. The expansion of the program was the result of a successful trial at Mona Vale Public School from 23 December 2017 to 21 January 2018.
The upgrade works on the Northern Beaches Secondary College Cromer Campus sportsfield amenities area are expected to be completed by December 2028 whilst the new lights are expected to be ready for use by late December next year.
Northern Beaches Secondary College Cromer Campus | 120 S Creek Rd, Cromer NSW 2099
Did you know that there is a world-class football field in Cromer Park? The synthetic field at Cromer Park Field 1 has been replaced with a new one, exciting the local football community who use it, from grassroots clubs to representative teams.
The brand new premium synthetic surface uses cork infill, instead of rubber, to reduce the urban heat island effect and provide cooler conditions for players on hot days.
There is also more storage for six-a-side goals, an additional pump to recycle water draining from the field and boot scrapers at every entrance to prevent infill from leaving the ground.
The field is used regularly by Sydney FC A-League women’s side, the Manly United representative teams and the Manly Warringah Football Association, the most prominent football association in Australia with more than 20,000 players.
Photo credit: Manly Warringah Football Association/Facebook
Manly Warringah Football Association and Manly United CEO David Mason said the football community feels blessed to have such wonderful facilities that are used by local grassroots players and the Manly United representative teams at Cromer Park.
“We are extremely grateful to Northern Beaches Council for their continuing commitment to Cromer Park and the synthetic fields in our area but importantly applaud and encourage modern design and technology that has allowed this to take place with respect to the local environment,” Mr Mason said.
Photo credit: mwfa.com.au
Mr Mason said they are looking forward to continuing to work with Sydney FC and Football Australia to attract games and events that inspire young players, especially as they move towards the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.
The upgrade is part of the Council’s $1.3 million investment for the sporting community, to ensure the facility continues to attract Sydney FC teams to play locally and inspire the next generation of players.
Meanwhile, the old synthetic surface, which was used for more than 10 years before it reached the end of its life, has been exported to Denmark where it will be recycled.
Did you know that six streets in Cromer are named after six recipients of the Imperial Victoria Cross, now called the Australian Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration for bravery in the Commonwealth? Here’s a brief look at these brave young men whose names grace our streets.
Cutler Place, Cromer (Photo credit: Google Street View)
Cutler Place is named after Lieutenant Roden Cutler, who was a prominent diplomat and the longest serving Governor of NSW, having fulfilled the role from 1966 to 1981.
Lt Roden Cutler (Photo credit: Australian War Memorial)
Lt Cutler proved himself to be a courageous soldier at the Battle of Damour, the final major operation of the Australian forces during the Syria-Lebanon Campaign of World War II. He fought for more than 18 days, that culminated in his wounding and the subsequent amputation of his leg .
In 2000, Lt Cutler was honoured as one of three Australian living Victoria Cross winners to be commemorated on a stamp and coin issue. He died in February 2002 at the age of 85.
Middleton Rd
Middleton Rd, Cromer (Photo credit: Google Street View)
Middleton Road is named after Flight Sergeant Rawdon Middleton, who was a bomber pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force. During his 29th mission on a raid on Turin, Italy in 1942, his aircraft was damaged by flak over the target and a shell exploded in the cockpit.
Flight Sergeant Rawdon Middleton (Photo credit: Australian War Memorial/Facebook)
Despite receiving wounds on his face and destroying his right eye, he managed to take control and pilot the crippled aircraft back towards England. However, he did not survive after the aircraft crashed into the English Channel. The last line of his Victoria Cross citation reads: “His devotion to duty in the face of overwhelming odds is unsurpassed in the annals of the Royal Air Force.”
Kenna Place
Kenna Place, Cromer (Photo credit: Google Street View)
Kenna Place was named after Private Edward Kenna, who was known as the last living Australian Second World War recipient of the Victoria Cross. He was given the medal for his involvement in an action near Wewak, New Guinea, during which he exposed himself to heavy fire, killing a Japanese machine gun crew and making it possible for his company’s attack to succeed.
Private Edward Kenna (Photo credit: Australian War Memorial)
Kenna’s Victoria Cross was on display at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra for a period in 2010. His family later decided to sell his medals, including the VC, at an auction held at Dallas Brooks Hall in July 2011. Kenna’s medal group was sold for over $1 million to an unknown buyer.
Howse Crescent
Howse Crescent, Cromer Photo credit: Google Street View
The street was named after Captain Neville Howse, who was the first Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross. An Australian Army officer, medical doctor, and politician, Sir Neville Howse, has been given the award for his action at Vredefort in 1900, when he went out under a heavy cross fire and picked up a wounded man, and carried him to a place of shelter.
Captain Neville Howse (Photo credit: National Library of Australia)
Besides the Victoria Cross, Major General Howse is a recipient of various honours and awards, including the British War Medal, Victory Medal, and Queen’s South Africa medal.
He went to England for medical treatment in 1930 but died of cancer the same year. He was buried in Kensal Green cemetery, London.
Mcnamara Rd
Mcnamara Rd, Cromer (Photo credit: Google Street View)
Mcnamara Rd is named after Lieutenant Frank McNamara who was honoured for his actions in March 1917, when he rescued a fellow pilot who had been forced down behind enemy lines. McNamara was the first Australian aviator—and the only one in World War I—to receive the Victoria Cross.
Frank McNamara c May 1917 (Photo credit: Australian War Memorial/Facebook
The action left him wounded in the thigh and weak from blood loss. He later served in the Second World War as an Air Vice-Marshal. Between 1942 and 1945 he served as Air Officer Commanding British Forces in Aden before returning to London as the RAAF’s representative at Britain’s Ministry of Defence.
He died of hypertensive heart failure on 2 November 1961, aged 67, after suffering a fall at his home in Buckinghamshire.
Badcoe Rd
Badcoe Rd, Cromer (Photo credit: Google Street View)
Major Badcoe was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for fighting in South Vietnam in 1966, whilst he was member of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam. In his role as an operations adviser for the team, Badcoe showed outstanding courageous behaviour and leadership, where he risked his life under heavy fire in the jungles to save the body of an American colleague.
Studio portrait of Second Lieutenant Peter John Badcock (Photo credit: Australian War Memorial)
Major Badcoe’s Victoria Cross medals have been on display at the Australian War Memorial, making him the 71st Australian to have his medal displayed at the war memorial.
About the Victoria Cross
The actual specimen Victoria Cross medal that was approved by Queen Victoria in the nineteenth century (Photo credit: Mike Weston ABIPP/MOD)
Known as the highest award for valour in the British armed forces, the Victoria Cross was instituted in 1856 by Queen Victoria at the request of her consort, Prince Albert. Since its inception, only 1,348 crosses have been awarded. Around 100 Australians have been given the honour, including five Australians serving with South African and British units.
Photo credit: Victorian Collections
A Victoria Cross medal is made of bronze, which came from Russian guns captured during the Crimean War from 1853 to 1856 at the Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine. The first recipients of the cross were also the ones who fought during the Crimean War.
In Australia, the Victoria Cross is awarded by the Governor-General, with the approval of the Sovereign, on the recommendation of the Minister for Defence, subject to review by the Defence Honours and Awards Appeal Tribunal.
DiversARTy, a gallery and studio in Cromer, is running an impressive art exhibit with an equally admirable online initiative to raise funds for cancer victims.
Running for the whole month of September, the Feathers & Dreams charity art exhibit at the Cromer gallery showcases the work of emerging and established local artists who want to encourage art lovers to support Dreams2Live4’s causes. These artists with a heart of gold donated their creative masterpieces, which will be auctioned off at DiversARTy.
More than 50 artworks are up for bid at the gallery. Half of the profits sold at the charity art exhibit will go to Dreams2Live4, which helps patients with metastatic cancer, relapsed lymphoma, relapsed leukemia and aggressive brain tumours receive the best care and better quality of life despite their condition. This charity has provided for over 500 patients in 180 hospitals across the country.
Photo Credit: DiversARTy/Facebook
Due to the COVID-19 regulations, the Feathers & Dreams auction will be done online. The public may also directly donate online to the cause. As of press time, the charity art exhibit has raised $6,800.
Since this is an online auction, bidding is also open for art lovers outside of the Sydney metropolitan area but they will have to shoulder the freight cost. Winning bidders in Sydney may arrange for collection after the auctions, subject to health protocols.
