“We want places, not just streets”

Waverley Mayor Sally Betts has outlined a new policy aiming to increase the vibrancy and diversity of street life in Bondi Junction.

The Bondi Junction Complete Streets Project is an initiative that hopes to encourage a thriving pedestrian culture, making streets in Bondi Junction more pedestrian friendly and promoting economic growth.

Ms Betts said her vision was to transform Bondi Junction into a sub-regional centre, creating an attractive place for people to congregate.

“What we are trying to do is make places rather than just have streets and buildings. We want to make Bondi Junction a place that people want to go to rather than just go through,” she said.

A spokesperson for Waverley Council said the initiative would help to accommodate the high volume of pedestrian traffic at Bondi Junction.

“Our Complete Streets Project is part of Council’s plan to enhance Bondi Junction and will involve greening and beautifying the footpaths and public spaces,” said the spokesperson.

“[Currently], 39,000 people pass through the bus/rail interchange at the heart of Bondi Junction a day, and Westfield’s global flagship shopping centre receives an average of around 58,000 visitors a day.”

Under the first stage of the initiative, Council will engage local residents and visitors to the area through a series of demonstration projects called “pop-ups”. Operating for a minimum of three months, the pop-ups are short-term projects gauging community response.

Several conceptual ideas for pop-ups are being mooted, including a temporary widening of footpaths, alfresco dining along Spring St, live music and street art.

Ms Betts said the first pop-up will be the reactivation of Gray St, involving the creation of an urban lounge including street furniture and a portable food van at the Bronte Rd intersection.

This would be followed by the installation of lighting and public art along the street towards Hollywood Ave to improve the thoroughfare for pedestrians.

“Complete streets are important because we also have a lot of elderly people in Bondi Junction,” said Ms Betts. “We want to make the place safe and that means we need to activate the place so that our elderly people feel comfortable walking around at night.”

Concepts for the Bondi Junction Complete Streets Project are expected to go before Council next month, with a $100,000 grant received from the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure for its implementation.

The Bondi Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD), part of the Complete Streets Project, is due for completion next month.

Waverley’s Deparment of Planning and Environmental Services have received a grant for the WSUD – set to be installed at the corner of Gray St and Bronte Rd.

Ms Betts said water recycling was a crucial part of Council’s vision for sustainability in Bondi.

“We also have a long term vision to make the whole of Bondi Junction sustainable. We want to bring in tri-generation water recycling, and perhaps connect garbage underground,” she said.

“It’s about [measures] to make Bondi Junction a place that really meets all our needs and environmental targets.”