Bondi Pavilion: a new beginning

21 February 2018

Waverley Mayor, John Wakefield said, “The Bondi Pavilion Stakeholder Committee has worked very hard over several months reviewing the plans, doing site visits, to come up with recommendations that will establish the future Bondi Pavilion.

“My approach has ensured the community has directly inputted into this new chapter of the Pavilion – openly and transparently.”

After months of work, the Bondi Pavilion Stakeholder Committee tabled a report outlining a suite of recommendations, including:

  • Bondi Pavilion be recognised as a Community Cultural Centre and priority be given to community and cultural use consistent with the surfing heritage of Bondi
  • Theatre, Music and recording studios to remain in their current location and be refurbished
  • The uses and functions of the top floor remain basically unchanged
  • No less, and ideally more, areas of community hireable space remain
  • Consideration should be given to all possible options for placement of toilets, showers and change rooms to minimise amenities’ footprint within the Pavilion, including external to the Pavilion such as in Bondi Park
  • Commercial activity (café/restaurant/shops) be restricted to the eastern (beach) frontage on the ground floor
  • Facilities for pottery and artists’ studios be retained
  • Art Gallery be retained and/or enlarged.

The report, including the full list of recommendations is available here: http://www.waverley.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/161458/BPUCPCouncil_report_20_Feb_2017.pdf. The report will inform a revised architect’s brief.

“The revised concept will be open for community consultation once completed. In the interim, we will be working on some much needed upkeep and maintenance works on the Pavilion, including renovating the public toilets, repairing and repainting windows and door frames, and replanting planter boxes.”

On 10 October 2017, Council voted to establish a Bondi Pavilion Stakeholder Committee, and voted to appoint members to the Committee on 21 November 2017. Council appointed 19 people to the Committee including members of the community selected through an expression of interest process, stakeholder and precinct representatives and Bondi Ward Councillors.

The Stakeholder Committee undertook a rigorous process to examine the uses and function of Bondi Pavilion. They will reconvene in March 2018 to finalise a vision statement and provide advice of the development of future cultural programming and artistic direction at Bondi Pavilion.