Previous update 18 November 2016

On Tuesday 15 November. Council voted to proceed with Phase 1 of the renovations of the iconic Bondi Pavilion. 

Phase 1 will focus on some critical needs of the building and adjacent works.This includes:  

  • Building new and larger toilet facilities
  • Environmentally sustainable design measures including improved waste facilities
  • A new gallery/ exhibition/ museum space
  • Pottery, kiln and music studio facilities 
  • Landscaped courtyards and outdoor seating with space for the community to relax. 
Phase 1 will also include roof replacement and external facade works for the whole building. 

Council has agreed to defer any decision on the rest of the project until the next Council is elected, expected to be September 2017. This includes decisions about use of the upper level, the proposed new theatre and changes to exisiting music studios and the High Tide Room. Those future decisions will be informed by the community consultation reports that have already beeb produced and new reports that will include a Business Case, Fair Use Policy, Theatre Programming and Management and Cultural and Community impact assessment.  

The KJA report on the recent Futher Consultation and Engagement Period has informed and will continue to inform decisions on Bondi Pavilion. We have taken on board the views expressed by community memmbers by making changes to the previous plan and ensuring Phase 1 addresses key community concerns by:

  • Building a new pottery studio with kiln
  • Retaining the existing theatre
  • Retaining the music studios
  • Retaining all the current community rooms and community facilities in the building, and adding new community space
  • Building an exhibiton space or museum celebrating Bondi's history. 

What happens next?

It is expected that a Development Application for Phase 1 works will be submitted in February 2017. Plans will then be subject to a statutory exhibition process and members of the public will have further opportunity to provide comment. Construction of Phase 1 would be expected to take about 12 months, commencing late 2017 or the early months of 2018.