Coronavirus: Bondi Beach to be opened up to the public again

Thousands who gathered at Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic caused shock and forced its closure. Now the tourist hub is to open to the public again, but only under certain conditions.

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Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach will re-open to the public next week.

It was only last month authorities closed the beach after thousands flaunted social distancing guidelines.

Waverley Council, which covers the affluent eastern suburbs, will re-open the beach from April 28 but under certain conditions.

Bondi will be open to the public but only on weekdays and only between the hours of 7am and 5pm.

Beachgoers had caused outrage after brazenly ignoring health guidelines last month. Picture: AAP/John Fotiadis

The beach will technically be closed off with fencing, however, a “corridor” for surfers and swimmers to access the water will be implemented.

Exercising on the sand will not be permitted while rangers and lifeguards will patrol the waters to ensure there are no more than 500 people together at any one time.

The move comes after council was last week quietly hatching plans that would see the tourist hotspot re-open while the State Government remained hesitant about any measures.

Waverley mayor Paula Masselos and council staff had met with Eastern Suburbs Police commander Mark Scott, who had a “shared level of comfort” about the plan, and had also written to NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard about the potential proposal.

Police have been patrolling nearby Clovelly Beach this week to ensure social distancing guidelines are being adhered to. Picture: Richard Dobson

The plan that was adopted last night also covers Bronte and Tamarama beaches.

Signs began appearing along Bondi Beach last night before the motion had passed, flagging it would be open for “surf and go”, much like the neighbouring beaches of Coogee and Maroubra which falls under Randwick City Council’s authority.

The sight of thousands of beachgoers packing Bondi Beach at the height of the coronavirus pandemic last month forced the health minister into ordering its closure.

Waverley still remains the epicentre of the virus outbreak in Sydney with scores of cases believed to have been transmitted from a series of public events and parties.

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