?Malevolent? Society irks locals

By Wendy Parkin and Pam Walker

Neighbours of the Benevolent Society site on Ocean and Wellington Streets in Bondi have dubbed it the ‘Malevolent’ Society, incensed by its $64 million redevelopment of the land donated by the State Government nearly a century ago.

They are particularly unhappy about the two 10-storey buildings planned for the site that would tower above the tallest eight-storey neighbouring blocks, leading to loss of light, obstruction of the North Bondi to Harbour views, and property devaluation.

The development application has been lodged with Waverley Council. If approved, construction would take about four years with residents expected to move in around 2012. The project will cost $64 million, including a $2.4 million upgrade of Scarba House.

The concept is based on Apartments for Life where elderly people can live with supporting care services. There are currently 120 units on site. The proposed development will provide 127 apartments, 10 per cent would be rented to those who do not own property, 30 per cent subsidised to property owners and 60 per cent would be sold at market prices.

Many of the neighbouring residents claim the proposal is an overdevelopment of the site and will have a negative impact on their streets. And according to Waverley Mayor Ingrid Stewe, the Benevolent Society’s community meeting in April did not constitute adequate consultation ‘ for a start, there were no angry residents present.

Steve Latta lives next door, having bought an apartment in Ocean Street a year ago attracted by the sunlight and privacy. A Bondi resident of 25 years, he and his wife downsized for their retirement. Before buying he did his research and was convinced the special use zoning for the block next door would rule out overdevelopment.
‘What they are proposing to do now would not be approved under the zoning,’ he said.
‘It is a massive development, absolutely huge, in an already densely populated street with lots of traffic and parking issues.’

Mr Latta says there are already many people who’ve bought ‘apartments for life’ next door, and what is needed is a nursing home.
‘Most of these people are concerned that when they get to the stage when they cannot look after themselves anymore, there’s no nursing home in the area. The Society has closed down the two most essential services in the area: the nursing home and the childcare centre.’
He also claims the promised homecare services are those the government provides in any apartment, with the exception of day care for dementure patients in one facility.

Andrew Worssam, nearby resident and a parent at the Bondi Public School, said it did not look like a model for housing poor people.
‘It’s more about cashed up baby boomers. The commitment to the poor looks rather thin when you consider the proportion of dwellings allocated to low income earners,’ he said.
‘And it’s wildly too big in an already very built up area. Penkivil Street is wall-to-wall with eight-storey buildings on one side and that has ruined the place and turned it into Surfers Paradise without the beach.’

But the Society says its aim is to make it possible for older people of all incomes to retire within their community. Studies have shown that strong social networks in a familiar neighbourhood contribute significantly to better physical and mental health in old age.

Sarah Fogg from the Benevolent Society said the development application now with Waverley Council had modified the design.
‘In response to concerns about views and overshadowing, the Society modified the design to reduce the impact on neighbours,’ she said. ‘It adjusted the position and heights of the buildings, making the buildings a more slender shape, carefully locating the higher parts of the buildings and reducing the height in some other areas.’

Facilities at ground level open to the public include meeting rooms for local groups and clubs, space for health professionals, a day centre for dementia, a café, a hairdresser and a craft room.

Residents in the hostel and on the Benevolent Society site have been relocated over the last 12 months.