Waverley Council’s overhaul of west Bondi Junction

Concerned residents in Waverley have been receiving calls from a market research company polling them about their attitudes towards a number the development of the West Bondi Junction Precinct.

The precinct encompasses the Waverley bus depot and land immediately surrounding Centennial Park and has long been the subject of heated debate in the LGA.

The locals have been presented with several possible changes for the area that include traffic solutions and the increase of housing density some examples of which were described as “very alarming”.

Included in these are the prospects of a six story development on the front of the Waverley Bus Depot, 9 stories on the north side of West Oxford Street, and a 10 story residential building in the middle of Syd Enflield drive.

Waverley Council said that they have developed “a range of opportunities and ideas that would improve the character, operation, identity and urban amenity of the high profile location.”

The Council included in their draft strategy for the area what they see as the future of West Bondi Junction.

“The edges of Oxford Street will be low to medium scale, with medium rise development set back from the street and concentrated along the Syd Einfield frontage, which will be articulated to create a distinctive profile and approach to Bondi Junction.”

Local action group, Save West Bondi Junction formed in April to oppose the overdevelopment of the area.

The community group and those being surveyed have again raised concerns that the heritage of the area is not being considered in the developments.

A spokesperson for their group said that the community feels like Waverley Council is bowing to the demands of developers and trying to sneak through the mandatory consultation with these phone surveys.

When they formed in April the council allowed three residents to be ‘passive’ overseers of the project but they were bound by confidentiality agreements.

Matthew Gain, a member of the community group said that the council needs to be more open about their plans.

“This hardly feels like the open and transparent process the council is espousing. Given those conditions it doesn’t seem that us being involved is going to be productive [but] I am open to discussing this and working out a way forward,” he told City Hub.

The Council will close the survey period on December 21.