Community Safety

Waverley Council has a proud history of pro-active, innovative engagement with community safety and crime prevention strategies over a period of more than 20 years.  Council piloted the first community crime prevention project in NSW in association with Fairfield Council (1990-91), devised the first Development Control Plan specifically relating to crime prevention through design (1992), piloted the model for ‘responsible serving of alcohol’ later implemented state-wide (1993-94), and participated in a comparative study of fear of crime conducted by Charles Sturt University (1998-99).Council adopted its first Community Safety Plan in 2004. 

Work undertaken under the Plan included:

  • Development, and launch in 2005, of a Youth Protocol setting out rights and responsibilities for young people in Bondi Junction to promote a positive and safe business centre environment.
  • Development and formal adoption in 2006 of the Bondi Safe Summer Initiative, a comprehensive risk management model designed to manage the risks to community safety over the Christmas New Year period generated by large crowds of young travellers, alcohol, sun and surf.  The model employs three crime prevention strategies: managed events, strict enforcement of alcohol free zones, and a broad public education campaign.
  • Adopting a new Charter for the then Bondi Beach Safety Committee and broadening the brief to include the whole of Waverley, so that the Committee became the Waverley Community Safety Advisory committee (2007).
  • Implementation of the ‘Keep your memories sweet’ campaign in 2007 which comprehensively targeted backpackers with information about laws in NSW relating to ‘safe serving of alcohol’.
  • Implementation of a successful public education campaign over the summers of 2007-09 designed to reduce the incidence of theft from beach visitors.
  • Implementation of public education and site specific civic pride projects aimed at deterring graffiti.

Community Safety Plan 2009-12

Council adopted its second Community Safety Plan in May 2009.  This Plan identified key current issues as being: the management of crowds; malicious damage including graffiti; theft; and alcohol related crime and anti-social behaviour.

The Plan proposes a variety of strategies for addressing these issues, including:

  • The appointment of a Community Safety Development Officer
  • Continuing implementation of successful strategies, including the Safe Summer Initiative, Graffiti removal and site specific community engagement strategies to deter graffiti and other forms of anti-social behaviour.
  • The development of new strategies such as the development of a street art strategy aiming to build on achievements in graffiti prevention, development of a fresh campaign to tackle theft, the development of partnerships to address issues relating to alcohol, action to address the public risk posed by abandoned shopping trolleys, and improved support for staff working with people who sleep rough in Waverley.
  • Submissions seeking support from state and federal governments.

Community Safety Advisory Committee

Council adopted a Charter for its Community Safety Advisory Committee in 2006. The Charter describes the Committee’s purpose as being to:

  • facilitate a multi-faceted and coordinated approach to the development of community safety and crime prevention strategies to address the diverse community safety issues in the Waverley LGA
  • and promote cooperation between Council, the community, Government and non-government agencies in relation to community safety issues.


The Committee is chaired by the Mayor (or nominee) and meets monthly. Committee membership includes representatives of:

  • the Waverley and Rose Bay Local Area Commands
  • WAYS Youth Services
  • Waverley Surf Lifesaving
  • two community representatives
  • two representatives of Council’s Combined Precincts (residents’) Committee
  • Council’s Bondi Beach and Bondi Junction Place Managers, Senior Ranger and several other senior Council staff.

More nformation about the Community Safety Advisory Committee