Making Australia's most famous beach accessible for all

27 January 2020

Waverley Council in collaboration with Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club is celebrating the launch on Saturday 1 February of Access Bondi, a community inclusion initiative at Bondi Beach.

Everyone is invited to join us near the North Bondi kids pool for a sausage sizzle, face painting and DJ to celebrate Council’s new accessible ramp at North Bondi.

People will be able to try out our beach wheelchairs, accessible beach matting and our new self-serve lockers for wheelchairs.

Council has provided beach matting and beach wheelchairs at Bondi for many years, but we have made the beach even more accessible with new a much-wider ramp, new accessible showers and toilets and an improved wheelchair booking system.

Mayor of Waverley, Paula Masselos, said Access Bondi celebrates inclusion and demonstrates Council’s commitment to providing safe and equitable access to the beach for all.

“It is important that our iconic and highly valued beach which attracts people from all over the world be welcoming and inclusive for people of all abilities,” Mayor Masselos said.

“Everyone should be able to enjoy the beach independently or with family and friends. We acknowledge that there is more work to be done in this space, but we are very proud of what’s been achieved thus far.

“I must also acknowledge Surf Life Saving NSW for their generous contribution of $100,000 towards the project. Bondi Surf Life Bathers Life Saving Club received $25,000 in grants for a kid’s beach wheelchair, Mobi* floating beach chair, extra beach matting, equipment to store and deploy the mat, and help with rolling the mat out more regularly.

“We’re grateful for all the support we have received for Access Bondi. It’s great to work in close partnership with the surf club and its many enthusiastic members and we’re looking forward to working together on future initiatives.”

The Access Bondi Launch will be held from 11am to 2pm on Saturday 1 February. Mayor Masselos will be speaking at 11.30am.

For more information, or to arrange an interview, please contact media@waverley.nsw.gov.au or 0416 075 532. Still images of the new ramp and beach matting is available on request.