Amalfi Beach Club: latest on Bondi private cabana plan
Is a plan to offer a pay to sit section on Bondi Beach a lifeline for struggling businesses or a gross breach of the egalitarian nature of the iconic strip? The Amalfi Beach Club saga continues.
Wentworth Courier
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The saga over whether a slice of Bondi should be transformed into a private beach club rages on with councillors vowing to block it, a cheeky celebrity endorsement, an indigenous leader claiming the beach belongs to them and the surf club speaking out.
Meanwhile the man behind the proposal, which was exclusively revealed by the Wentworth Courier on Wednesday, has defended the concept, pointing to the waves of support flowing in and the boost it would give to struggling local businesses.
The Wentworth Courier has obtained a letter written by North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club president Andrew Christopher to mayor Paula Masselos following the media storm.
“I note the proposal under consideration by Waverley Council to cordon off part of the beach for the exclusive use of fee paying private patrons,” Mr Christopher wrote.
“As representatives of one of Australia’s oldest Surf Life Saving Club, the Board of NBSLC has real concerns with this proposal, as it has been described in the media, and considers it to be at odds with the open and egalitarian access to the beach, and Bondi Beach especially, that has been a permanent and much cherished feature of Australian life.”
A Facebook poll by the Wentworth Courier shows locals are fairly evenly divided on the concept with 99 people supporting it and 92 against it.
Amalfi Beach Club’s Janek Gazecki clarified the $80 per person fee to book a two hour slot in a cabana would be credited to the patron’s food and beverage bill which would be serviced by a revolving selection of local restaurants.
Mr Gazecki further defended the plan saying “98 per cent of the beach” would be free to the public and despite the proposal explicitly stating their target audience was high net worth individuals, everybody was welcome.
“It’s not a crime to have a premium database of high net worth individuals,” Mr Gazecki said.
“Most councils value that for very obvious reasons – they will spend more money in Bondi.
“It will operate an online booking system – first in, best dressed. We are not sitting there picking and choosing.”
Mr Gazecki said he was more than willing to compromise with council such as by paying for an extra lifeguard on duty and even closing down the club on days the beach was forecast to be extra busy.
“It’s good for the community, good for vibrancy,” Mr Gazecki said.
“Whoever doesn’t want to support the local restaurants in this way can simply sit on the beach as they always have done.”
The fierce defence of the proposal comes as hundreds of locals sign a petition calling for the plan to be axed to “keep Bondi Beach public.”
The petition to Waverley Council has been signed by more than 700 people in just 24 hours.
It lambasts the proposal as “unAustralian,” warning it would be “damaging to Bondi’s iconic status as a public, accessible and free space.”
“Bondi‘s beauty, appeal, and iconic status are due in no small part to its accessibility for all, which reflects Australia’s democratic, egalitarian values. This should be preserved in perpetuity,” it reads.
The Greens have slammed the proposal with party member, proud First Nations man and Bondi Ward councillor Dominic WY Kanak vowing to vote against it should it come before a council meeting.
“If the beach belongs to anyone its First Nations land,” Cr WY Kanak said.
“No parts of Bondi Beach should be the exclusive playground for the elite and the rich.
“We will not allow the sale of our beaches.”
Liberal councillor Leon Goltsman is also against the beach club, likening it to another custom enjoyed Europeans – paying to use the restroom.
“This is going to divide the community once again, it will see businesses acting as opportunists trying to make a quick buck,” Cr Goltsman said.
“I’m all for people with ideas but what’s next? People paying to use the toilet? Literally pay to go.”
However support for the beach continues to pour in with a petition calling on council to approve it reaching almost 750 signatures.
Celebrity vet and Bondi stalwart Dr Chris Brown is among the many supporters.
He told Nova 96.9’s Fitzy and Wippa on Thursday he was impressed by the idea.
“Sure, I reckon it’s a pretty appealing scene for a beach with 30,000 people to be in a section where it’s one per 30 m², I think it’s going to go down very well,” Dr Brown said.