A wild brawl involving 40 teenagers in Manly has sparked an intense suburban feud as locals blame out-of-towners from western Sydney for the chaos.
The melee broke out at Manly Wharf on the northern beaches on January 6 after a teenager was allegedly attacked by a large group of teenagers.
The teenager was rescued by brave bystanders and taken to the nearby Fratelli Fresh restaurant, where Nine Entertainment acting chief executive Matt Stanton helped diners barricade the restaurant and prevent the group of 40 people from entering.
NSW Police made their first arrest days later, on Friday, after an 18-year-old was taken to Fairfield police station and charged with one count of rioting and affray.
The teenager was from Bonnyrigg, south-west of Sydney, and his arrest reignited debate over free bus services connecting inner suburbs to beaches.
Fairfield City Council had announced in early January that it would offer free bus services to locals on Sundays, transporting them to Sydney beaches, including Manly and Bondi in the eastern suburbs.
Locals living along the beaches were quick to criticize the move, claiming it attracted unwelcome visitors.
“I’m not saying Bonnyrigg is next to Fairfield, but Bonnyrigg is next to Fairfield,” one wrote on Facebook.
The teenager was rescued by brave passers-by and taken to Fratelli Fresh, where Nine Entertainment acting chief executive Matt Stanton (pictured, left) helped diners blockade the restaurant and prevent the group of 40 people from entering.
‘Have the police patrol and issue $500 fines for littering. $2,000 if it’s McDonald’s,” said a second.
“Oh God, please don’t send them east,” wrote another.
Many critics took the opportunity to criticize the limited public transport options in the city’s northern beaches and eastern suburbs.
“So if the Westies can get here by other means of transportation, can we get a train line now?” one wrote.
“We can’t even maintain all our valuable hop skip and jump services and they are running buses from the other side of town,” said another.
Fairfield City Council Mayor Frank Carbone responded to locals, telling Daily Mail Australia that no official complaints had been made about the services.
“We don’t want fights or fights, no matter where they happen, but to say it was caused by people from the west, that’s the problem,” he said.
‘We don’t know the full situation. The fact is that there were 40 people involved, I’m sure there were people from the west and people from the east.

The wild brawl broke out at Manly Wharf on the northern beaches on January 6 after the group allegedly attacked a teenager.
‘Violence should not be tolerated anywhere, no matter what has happened or where people are from.
“We should stop categorizing people by their ZIP code and start connecting with them, no matter where they live.”
Carbone said there was a “perception” that people who lived near a beach didn’t want “people from the west to visit.”
“There are too many barriers to entry, with taxes, tolls and parking fees,” he said.
“Beaches belong to everyone and this summer I want to make sure Fairfield residents can enjoy the beach without having to spend a lot of money.”
Despite criticism from some Carbone locals, many applauded him for introducing free buses and welcomed wider connectivity across Sydney.
‘This is fantastic for people who don’t normally have access to the beach. It costs like $50 dollars in tolls if you drive from the west to the beach! Beaches are meant to be shared!’ said one.
‘The beach is not yours, it is a public space. It’s 2025, you should try to be less racist,” wrote another, referencing Western Sydney’s multiculturalism.
‘Leisure is a right. Enough with the discrimination. Don’t be a snob,” said another.

A fight broke out between 40 people, most believed to be young people, at Manly Wharf (pictured) on January 6.
Carbone added that the free buses run both ways and could be an opportunity for eastern residents to experience a fun day out west.
“There will be people from Bondi who have never been to the iconic Cabramatta, so we want to give them the opportunity to visit Cabramatta, enjoy a South East Asian feast, see the Pai Lau Gates and enjoy all the atmosphere Cabramatta has to offer. “, said.
‘The cost of living should not be a barrier that prevents people from enjoying the beach on a summer’s day. At the end of the day, the beaches belong to everyone.
“What better opportunity is there for Bondi locals to hop on the bus back to Cabramatta for a unique experience?”
Free buses will continue to run to different beaches over the next two weekends.
The bus on January 19 will head to Cronulla, followed by another on February 2 to Bondi.
Alternatively, free buses will be available from Manly to Fairfield on January 19 and Bondi to Cabramatta on February 2.
New South Wales Police have set up Strike Force Crookhaven to investigate the fight.
Many of the alleged attackers or alleged victims have not yet been identified.
On Friday, detectives released CCTV footage of two men who worked to diffuse the fight in the hope it could assist their investigation.
One of the men was identified as Mr. Stanton.
The 18-year-old arrested on Friday was granted conditional bail.
He will appear at Manly Local Court on January 29.