Beach club proposal at Bondi

There has been a lot of media attention surrounding a proposal for a beach club on the sand at Bondi. Below is Council’s statement on the proposal.

While Council will consider all event ideas and proposals put before it, we must also balance the needs of the greater community within this consideration. In the instance of the Amalfi Beach Club proposal received in May this year, to remove a section of the beach from public use for an extended period of time, Council officers have deemed it unsuitable based on Council policies and in the interest of our local community. Our beaches and parks are public open spaces, for the enjoyment of everyone.

Background
Council assessed an initial proposal received in May this year for a ‘beach club’ to operate between November to February 2021. Council Officers determined the proposal to be unsuitable and emailed the applicant of this decision on 21 July 2020. A further email was sent to the applicant on 12 August 2020.

The initial proposal was deemed unsuitable by Council Officers for a number of reasons, including:

* Council’s Policies do not support events on the sand in peak periods between December and January
* Bondi Beach, as well as our parks and other beaches, are alcohol prohibited areas
* Mixing drinking with swimming is a safety issue, particularly in peak season.
There is also some doubt as to whether the proposal is an event or in fact an extended occupation of an area of beach for a business activity that would require a Development Application.

The General Manager has since received a letter directly from the event organisers, proposing new dates of February to May 2021. This proposal is currently being assessed by Council Officers.

Council will liaise with the applicant following an assessment of the new proposal.