Bondi Junction plan soon on show

Waverley Council will soon place the draft planning document for the Bondi Junction commercial centre on exhibition.

Mayor Betts said the council did not support the inclusion of all Department of Planning changes made to the draft Waverley Local Environment Plan (Bondi Junction) 2008, especially the increase in floor space ratio. Councillors were unanimous in their view the FSR is too high and would result in poor urban design.

“The State Government took our concerns on board and said they’d be willing to adjust some of the conditions they had imposed once all submissions are received,” she said.

“We’re urging residents and stakeholders to go on our website to have a look at the draft LEP, and to lodge submissions.”

The council will process all submissions and incorporate the feedback as part of Waverley’s recommendations to the State Government.

“We’re hoping the FSR imposed by the State Government will be reduced,” the mayor said.

“We intend to lodge our own submission as a way to negotiate with the Department to review these levels. Council’s concern has always been to ensure residents are protected from any increase in development in Bondi Junction.”

Cr Betts said another concern was the exclusion of tourist accommodation from the Bondi Junction commercial centre.

“It’s a disincentive for people who want to build tourist accommodation and would have an impact on tourism jobs in Waverley,” she said. “If there is interest in supplying tourist accommodation in Bondi Junction, the conditions would result in this accommodation being in mixed use residential areas, and not in the commercial area where we feel it is more appropriate.”

But the mayor said she was pleased Waverley could now concentrate on providing jobs in Bondi Junction to meet the Sydney Metropolitan Strategy and the draft East Subregional Strategy Target.

“We cannot continue to delay this important planning instrument. We’re anxious to progress the LEP in a timely manner and get the ball rolling,” she said.

The council has commissioned external consultants to determine the urban design and economic impacts of the Department’s changes to the draft LEP and will lodge a Freedom of Information request to access the department’s calculations.