Divisive path at Marks Park completed ahead of Sculptures by the Sea

Sculpture by the Sea founder David Handley is “battered and bruised” over a months-long stoush over Sydney’s most controversial concrete path that could see the $40 million exhibition leave Bondi for good.

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A significant milestone has been reached in the case of Sydney’s most controversial concrete path, which has finally been completed after months of public spats between the council who built it and organisers behind one of the most lucrative events on the Harbour City calendar.

Marks Park has been the battleground for the suburban stoush between Waverley Council and Sculpture by the Sea since works began earlier this year, with the latter threatening to pull it from Bondi in 2020 over the impact founding director David Handley said it would have on the marquee event.

A recent study by BIS Oxford Economics found $11 million is pumped into local businesses during Sculptures’ annual exhibition in October, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors during its run.

With the event just weeks away, Mr Handley said the construction of the path had made pulling the event off a logistical challenge, with the key location for the exhibition essentially a construction zone just weeks from its opening day.

The path has been a major boiling point for both council and Sculptures, who have been locked in a public spat for months over it. Picture: Tim Hunter.

The founding director also remained firm that no decision over Sculptures’ future at Bondi would be made until this year’s event concluded.

“We feel pretty battered and bruised to give 22 years of your life to a project like this and to be able to stage a free event in Sydney to be treated this way (is disappointing),” Mr Handley said.

“It’s been a labour of love to pull off an event like this, we believe it makes the world a better place.

“We weren’t just doing this for Sculpture by the Sea, we were doing this for all of Sydney to stop a green headland from being concreted over.

David Handley at Marks Park earlier this year. He has long claimed the event would suffer a significant blow should the path be completed. Picture: AAP/Bianca De Marchi.

“We are hoping a new mayor results in a dramatic shift in how we and the local residents are treated in all of this.”

With the works complete Waverley Council will hold an official opening ceremony of the path next week.

Mayor Paual Masselos said plans were also in the pipeline to deal with more disabled visitors.

“Following a report to the Waverley Traffic Committee in August, Waverley Council is installing three additional accessible parking spaces in Tamarama including one spot in Marks Ln and two in Kenneth St,” Cr Masselos said.

“These additional parking spaces will improve access to the recently upgraded Marks Park which includes a new universal accessible pathway for people with limited mobility.”

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