‘A bro area full of testosterone’: Tension over the Bondi Beach gym crackdown

A fitness furore has broken out over a council decision to crack down on the use of dumbbells and weights at Bondi’s beachside gym due to “public safety” concerns and fears the site is attracting too much testosterone.

Long-term users of the Bondi Park Fitness Station want Waverley Council to allow gym gear to be returned to the site after complaints resulted in the removal of the equipment in March.

Virginia Venn, Joey Pamment and Louise Brandon pictured at the outdoor gym at Bondi Beach.Credit: Janie Barrett

Regular gym users say they were left stunned when the free weights were removed in response to concerns the site had become a public liability risk for Waverley Council.

A council report outlining concerns stated the fitness equipment posed safety risks, including potential trip hazards that might expose the council to claims for injuries.

The report added the removal of the equipment was in line with broader work by the council to “rein in commercial operators” from the region’s parks and reserves.

Along with safety concerns, there has also been debate over the equitable use of the site after some residents complained the gym was primarily used by groups of men and alienated other users, including women.

Long-term users of the Bondi Beach fitness station have backed a push for gym equipment to be returned to the site.Credit: Contributed

Joey Pamment, a regular user of the fitness station, believes the council crackdown is incongruous with Bondi’s fitness lifestyle.

“How can you have a gym without gym equipment?” he said.

“Just like muscle beaches in Los Angeles and Miami, the fitness station has always been free for the public to use – it’s used by young, older users and both men and women.

“You train alongside strangers, and the community connection is one of the biggest drawcards.”

The Bondi Park fitness station.Credit: Waverley Council

Fellow fitness station user Louise Brandon agreed, saying: “A range of people of differing genders and ages use the weights and that encouraged me to use the space as well.”

However, fitness trainer Vix Erber, who runs a strength studio in Bondi, said most women and older residents chose to avoid the outdoor gym.

“It’s really just a bro area and full of testosterone and that’s why so many women train in gyms instead – unless you wanted to pick up a bloke, it’s not a space you’d ever consider using,” she said.

A Waverley Council spokesman said the decision to remove the weights followed feedback from members of the community regarding equipment being left on the ground and items stored in gardens surrounding the fitness station.

Weights were removed by council officers in March.Credit: Contributed

The spokesman said the council was working on a plan to permit the return of weights but with conditions including a limit on the number of items along with rules about how equipment can be placed and stored.

Waverley Mayor Will Nemesh said the conditions would “achieve a balance” based on the feedback from gym users and the broader community.

The debate comes as other councils plan to spend millions on new outdoor gyms, including a new facility at Maroubra Beach approved by Randwick Council.

The approval came despite mixed feedback from residents with objectors claiming it could lead to “undesirable hooligans” gathering at the site.

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