A blueprint to reimagine Bondi Junction as a world-class cultural, civic and commercial town centre with 3,000 new homes, a revitalised mall with plaza and square, 9,000sqm of extra public space and 10,000sqm of new community infrastructure has been unveiled by Waverley Council.
For the past year, the Council has been developing a Master Plan with the help of experts and informed by extensive community, business and stakeholder consultation.
The draft Master Plan is now on exhibition, with a final chance for the community to offer feedback before it goes to Council for formal endorsement.
“Bondi Junction has all the elements of a high-performing precinct, including a major transport interchange, an excellent location and a premier retail offering, but its full potential has remained untapped for too long,” said Mayor, Will Nemesh.
“This exciting plan creates a town centre for the next generation that is vibrant, accessible and welcoming and supports people, business and community life.
“We have crafted a comprehensive strategy that delivers high-quality housing, a reinvigorated Oxford Street Mall, a thriving new Civic Precinct, expansive green space, cultural amenity and a resilient commercial core to support local jobs and services.”
The Master Plan centres on four ambitions:
Ambition 1: Destination
From a shopping stop or thoroughfare to the ultimate day-to-night destination, Bondi Junction evolves into a place for dining, nightlife and discovery.
“It starts with revamping Oxford Street Mall to serve as a daylight hub for shopping, wellbeing, culture and hospitality before transforming into a lively promenade at night with extended dining, live music and major community events,” Mayor Nemesh said.
Ambition 2: A world-class interchange
Bondi Junction transforms from a busy and fragmented interchange into a seamless people-focused gateway.
“The primary entrance to Bondi Junction station would shift to Rowe Street, providing a direct link between public transport and Oxford Street Mall, making movement between the two safer, quicker and more intuitive,” Mayor Nemesh said.
Ambition 3: An urban oasis
Bondi Junction becomes the ‘parkline’ of Sydney’s East with greenery, open space and active connections creating a cooler, healthier and more enjoyable environment.
“A network of urban parks and plazas, plus walking and bike trails, will connect Centennial Park on one side to Waverley Park on the other,” the Mayor said.
Ambition 4: The heart of the East
Bondi Junction becomes the unmistakable heart of the East, offering a broader choice of homes and lifestyles, with new dwellings contributing to an evolving local atmosphere benefiting the wider community.
“This plan could deliver 3000 new homes, 10 per cent of which would be earmarked as affordable,” Mayor Nemesh said.
“But this is not about blanket density, but density done well and scale matched to place, with heritage conservation areas retained.
“The core ‘city centre’ would support heights up to 100m, stepping down to mixed-use, then to mid-rise, and out to walk-ups, terraces and townhouses.”
Housing growth is focused on five key areas: Oxford Street Mall with 1250 new dwellings, Bondi Road East Gateway with 650, the Civic precinct with 550, West Oxford Street Village with 150, and Bronte Road Village with 350.
In addition to the four ambitions, the Master Plan details two ‘catalyst projects’ designed to anchor Bondi Junction’s transformation.
The 18-hour Oxford Street Mall
- A grand arrival arcade from the enhanced Bondi Junction Interchange and a new 1500 square metre public square and plaza.
- New housing and office developments.
- Enhanced retail and dining frontages, including elevated podium-level hospitality.
- Expansive tree canopy and planting.
The Civic Precinct
- A new state-of-the-art community and civic facility with potential for a new and relocated Library, a performance theatre, flexible spaces for classes, meetings or workshops, and creative spaces for art, music and youth programs
- An enhanced and expanded Clemenston Park totalling 6500sqm.
- Pedestrian connections between Spring Street and Ebley Street. Safer, more people-focused streets throughout the precinct.
“Bondi Junction has huge potential, and this Master Plan serves as a roadmap for making it the beating heart of Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs,” Mayor Nemesh said.
The community is encouraged to peruse the Draft Master Plan and share their feedback at haveyoursay.waverley.nsw.gov.au.
