194 Oxford Street Bondi Junction: Developer behind tower project to give $7.5m for community benefits
A developer that won a seven-year battle against council and residents to build two towers will contribute $7.5m for public projects, however one councillor decried the contribution as “crumbs”.
Wentworth Courier
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The developer behind contentious plans for 10-storey double towers next to Centennial Park at Bondi Junction has pledged a total $7.45m to benefit the community, after the proposal faced more than seven years of opposition.
At a council meeting on Tuesday, Waverley Council put to a vote the pledge of developer Westgate BJ Pty Ltd to deliver $1.15m of in-kind contributions to be used to fund a public plaza on the grounds of the two apartment towers.
The finalised voluntary planning agreement received conflicting reviews from councillors, with Labor councillor Tim Murray saying the council had been given “crumbs”.
A further $6.3m in cash was pledged by the developer for council projects, in line with Waverley Council’s planning strategy.
The funding comes at the end of a protracted battle to block the $38m development, with Labor mayor Paula Masselos leading multiple protests with community groups against the project.
The complex, consisting of 73 apartments and four levels of basement parking, was first touted for 194 Oxford St seven years ago and has faced fierce opposition by residents.
The applicant first introduced the public benefit offer in 2019, and, despite the council not supporting the proposal, the NSW Planning Department (DPE) finalised the proposal that year.
The development application was approved by the NSW Government’s Sydney eastern city planning panel in August 2022.
The developer revised its monetary contribution offer to $6.3 million with in-kind public works valued at $1.15 million.
Labor councillor Tim Murray supported the motion but decried the process.
“These people went straight over the top of us and got the state government to approve it; we’re now dealing with the crumbs on the table,” he said.
Liberal councillor Tony Kay commended the $3.46m of the $6.3m cash contribution which would go to Waverley’s affordable housing program.
Mayor Paula Masselos said the “significantly over height” twin tower “monstrosity” reflected a rare case where the council showed “tri-partisan support” in choosing not to support the building.
In response to allegations of “NIMBYism” Ms Masselos said it was a development that was “anything but affordable”.
“Units I gather start from as little as $2m-plus plus, how is that affordable?,” she said. “It is not contributing to the affordable housing situation. It’s contributing to a huge financial windfall to the developer because of the significant uplift.
“At the very least, our long suffering community can share in this windfall and have the VPA provide some much needed public benefit.”
The council carried the motion to proceed with the voluntary planning agreement, 10 votes to two.
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