A new Dan Murphy’s bottle shop will go ahead at Avalon Beach after gaining liquor licence approval. The decision locks in a $7.2 million redevelopment of the Careel Head Road site, ending a fierce community debate that began in 2024.
The site previously housed the Careel Shopping Village, home to Cranzgots Pizza — known locally as “Cranny’s” — which served generations of Avalon families, surfers and soccer players for 27 years before closing to make way for the development.
The approved plans
The approved three-storey building will house three specialty retail tenants alongside the anchor Dan Murphy’s, with a 60-place childcare centre on the first floor for children up to five years old. The Dan Murphy’s will operate as a boutique cellar-style store rather than the brand’s standard large-format outlet.
Following a conciliation process, the NSW Land and Environment Court granted development consent for the amended design, which provides a childcare centre entrance and lift entirely separate from the bottle shop’s premises.
Community concerns
About 100 submissions were received when the original DA went on public exhibition in 2024, with concerns spanning the mix of uses, traffic at the Careel Head and Barrenjoey Roads intersection, and the site’s position in a low-to-medium flood zone below the AHD 4.9 flood level.
NSW Health’s Northern Sydney Local Health District submitted that the development would increase young children’s exposure to alcohol and alcohol marketing.
Public submissions pointed out that Avalon Beach already has access to five bottle shops, along with licensed clubs and hotels, as well as a large Dan Murphy’s at Mona Vale. One submission compared the proximity of the two uses to “children’s TV with gambling ads.
The site sits within 30 metres of Hitchcock Park and approximately 150 metres from Careel Bay Playing Fields, home to the Avalon Soccer Club.
The reasons behind the decision
In approving the liquor licence, the ILGA noted it received no objections from police and found no crime hotspots in the suburb for alcohol-related non-domestic assault, malicious damage or disorderly conduct.
“We are satisfied on balance that the proposal would benefit the local and broader communities by providing increased convenience and choice,” the decision stated.
Dan Murphy’s is operated by the Endeavour Group, which said it prioritised responsible service of alcohol and would ensure operations aligned with community expectations and safety standards.
The next stage
Developers will kick off the project by tearing down the old shopping village, targeting a late-2026 finish. For further updates on the project, residents can monitor it by clicking here.
Published 9-July-2026
