153 Hastings Parade, North Bondi NSW 2026

This unit has three families with four children under three years old, including one newborn baby, not even a month old. The other family are seniors who have lived in the building for over 40 years. It is disgusting that the council is allowing the affluent on the street to kick out families to build their mega-mansions.

There should be a precedent; this is the third unit block on the street this individual pulled down. When is enough?

thats a beautiful older style building with a lovely set back, is the ben Buckler heritage guidelines being totally ignored for developers and the big end if town, Council should show some backbone

Bondi had / has some character left FGS

Council STEP UP

We couldn't agree more with the comments above.
This development is taking away housing from multiple families, street parking and character from a road desperately in need of all those things.
It's not just a billionaires playground, it is/was a community street.
We've already lost two other blocks of units to the same individual and had to put up with the noise and dust from the development of their mega mansion over last two years, with no compensation or as much as a conversation. Now it's happening again.
Not good enough.

Super frustrated by the amount of building on this street. There’s no less than 5 large scale builds happening on Hastings and 2 on Brighton.

Construction started 3 years ago when the luxury apartments at 170 went up, which were then promptly ripped down. It has been constant noise. Trades fill the street - I counted 15 car parks taken today - it’s impossible to park when trades are working to 3pm including Saturdays. They reserved parking spots overnight with orange cones and they have twice removed the restricted construction zone parking sign to enlarge their space.

The large vehicles for cement and deliveries have trouble accessing the streets which can cause delays to get to work for those who drive because of the one way street. It’s infuriating. Enough is enough.

I also note this construction requires more sandstone cutting. More months of hydraulic thudding. Definitely not.

Council gets paid while the residents deal with it.

Does council think they’ll make this more palatable by doubling down another 6 months of drilling like the belief 2 drills are better than 1?

What does it take for Waverley to act with some semblance of reasonableness - a visit from A Current Affair? Because at this rate I feel that’s where residents frustration is headed.

Seriously?! Knocking down TWO apartment blocks and evicting dozens of locals isn’t enough? This billionaire needs to knock down a third?

Hastings Pde has been clogged with self entitled tradies employed by this one person for literal years, taking up our very limited parking spaces, blocking the road with their big trucks often during peak hour, drilling 10 hours a day so it’s impossible to work from home (and until 8pm+ the evenings before public holidays when they know that rangers aren’t on duty), and littering the streets. Now it’s proposed that the third consecutive block of apartments (and the 6th on the street) is to be demolished, all at the same time, adding to this calamity?

Where is the council? Do they even give a hoot about us locals? Or do you need to be a billionaire to be considered in this decision?

… it’s not even like this billionaire lives in the country. This is a party pad for when they feel like visiting.

I’m shocked this is being proposed.

Why is it with a housing crisis on-going that it is being considered to knock down housing for four families and replace it with housing for none as this is just an extension to another house. Council should be working for the people, not the indiviuals

I oppose this development.

Sydney is currently facing a housing crisis. Any application that results in a net decrease in housing stock must be rejected.

I echo the concerns and strongly oppose this development. Displacing multiple families and long-term residents for another mansion is unacceptable. We've already lost two unit blocks to the same developer. The council must prioritise the community over wealthy individuals.

The ongoing construction has caused endless noise, dust, and parking issues, severely disrupting our lives. This new development will only add to the chaos.

Council, please protect our housing, heritage, and neighbourhood character. Enough is enough.

Concerned by the fact that the SEPP Affordable Housing Report in this DA has falsified numbers of the amounts of rent the residents have been paying.

Inflating these numbers over the median house rental price for the neighbourhood to ensure that the property isn't considered part of the 'Guidelines for Retention of Existing Affordable Rental Housing October 2009' is a severe breach of trust.

What will the council do about this to ensure that the number of low-cost rental properties in the neighbourhood isn't all removed to make way for the rich to build their mega-mansions?

When is enough, enough!

I'd like to raise my concerns with council about this DA. I strongly oppose this DA and my concerns are:

1. Housing Crisis: We are currently in a housing crisis, and it makes no sense to reduce housing density where it already exists. Removing housing for multiple families to build fewer, larger residences exacerbates the problem by decreasing the overall availability of housing in the area.

2. Urban Sprawl and Biodiversity: Reducing housing density in the city pushes development to the fringes, leading to urban sprawl. This expansion flattens critically endangered forests, home to Koalas, Gliders and Swift Parrots to name a few. Protecting our natural habitats is crucial for maintaining biodiversity, from which we all benefit.

3. Sustainable Building Practices: Where updates to buildings are necessary, we should prioritise refurbishment over demolition. Thoughtful refurbishing uses fewer resources and creates more employment opportunities compared to bulldozing and starting from scratch. It is a more sustainable and economically beneficial approach.

4. Community Impact: Several multi-dwelling blocks on our street have already been demolished and replaced with large single dwellings. I can attest that the noise and disturbance and from ongoing construction are significant and disruptive to the community who want to enjoy this beautiful place.

Given that we are facing both a housing and biodiversity crisis, it makes no sense to demolish homes for multiple families to build large residences for fewer people. I urge the Council to reject this development application.

Sometimes it seems that developers have all the power and the community can only vent their frustrations without achieving much. I engaged an independent company called iObject, to provide expert advice and support to protect my property. The initial DA audit listed a number of transgressions of local planning rules of which I had been unaware. They wrote the objection on my behalf and their expertise has elevated my case to a level that council has to take seriously. I am sure council do their best. They need more people to make a serious case against inappropriate development. I wish you luck.

I agree with the residents above.
Having lived here all my life as my father did before me, I am not only angry but saddened by the taking over of Bondi by the construction of units and housing that only the rich can afford. What is happening to the economically diverse neighbourhood that has been Bondi? By moving out residents whom are elderly and have lived there for many years and also families whose children probably attend local schools etc these individuals no doubt have close links to Bondi communities and may have had all their lives. To break this to constantly make way for expensive large units squeezes the life out of our community. And in this case it is only for the economical gain of the developer. Surely the Council has an obligation to the residents that are already here and especially since in these times lower cost living accommodation is in such short supply. Also to knock down one of the classic flats architecture of the area to boot. Oh and I would have thought to put out so many people and reduce available living spaces would have been illegal under this current governments mandates. I think it would also be considered to check that the developers haven’t misrepresented these matters to Council as one of the residents has brought to your notice from their previous statement. Please work with your residents on this and not the developers.

I am writing to you as a resident of the Bondi community, where many families and local community members are deeply concerned about the planned demolition of yet another apartment building.

Our apartments are more than just buildings; they’re our homes where we have built lives, brought up children, and formed bonds with our neighbors. This planned demolition would not only displace numerous families but also dismantle the strong sense of community that has been fostered over the years.

The impact of this demolition extends beyond the physical structures. It threatens the social fabric that makes our community unique and supportive. Families will be uprooted, friendships disrupted, and the essence of what makes Bondi special will be at risk.

I urge you to consider the profound effects this decision will have on the residents

Devastated to hear through word of mouth (not letter drop or email from our agent) that our home is going to be demolished.

I’ve just had our first child, and came home from hospital two weeks ago to find out that we, along with three other families in our block, are going to have to find new homes so that the same developer who has been hydraulic drilling across the road for a year can continue their demolition and takeover of our street. Why does he require 3 blocks of apartments, what were homes to 13 families, all for himself when he happens to visit the country from the USA?

Where will we live? There’s a shortage of apartments in the area and prices are only increasing as supply decreases due to actions like this. Does the council even care about the actual residents and community members who have established our lives here? Because every decision to demolish yet another block is slowly pushing us original residents out.

Mansion replaces 4 families

If this proposed development is approved by the Council, it would mean that the character and vibe of Bondi (which would have attracted the owner to the area) will continue to be slowly lost. Bondi will become the domain of the wealthy who live in mega mansions. This oversized development would be replacing a beautiful complex which houses 4 families. I believe that the owner lives overseas so does that mean that the new development will be vacant from time to time throughout the year? We are in a housing crisis so why would Council add to this if it approves this development? I strongly object to this development.

Enough is Enough

Why? Why? Why? Surely Council will not approve yet another development in Hastings Parade by the same person!!! This is changing Bondi. How much space does the owner need? Good on him for doing well however he should think of the people and how it will affect them. Surely he has enough of a footprint in Hastings Parade and can look elsewhere to invest his money rather than take away the homes of many families just for himself.

This will reduce housing supply; evict Pensioners who have lived in the building for 41+ years and families with young children and babies; and cause major disruption to daily life due to the influx of trades and heavy machinery that clog the street, reduce parking availability, fill the street with noise, and have a detrimental effect to the mental health of residents with months more of hydraulic drilling.

This DA should not be approved as it has a large detrimental effect on residents, the community, and public interest.

These types of proposals play a significant contribution towards the housing crisis and display a complete like of empathy to those most affected by this unnecessary development. As if living Bondi isn’t disruptive enough with the countless other projects currently and soon taking place, this DA should not go ahead as it’ll displace loving families and their babies, create additional nuisance with noise and congestion, and create a negative environmental impact throughout the project’s lifecycle.

I strongly object to this planned development. You need to start treating people with more empathy, and turn against lucky-entrepreneurs and billionaires daughters types...

If they want to build drop $20M+ and build a mansion go out to the county and do so - leave the North Bondi community alone!

I strongly oppose the proposed development on the following grounds:

Sydney is currently suffering through a housing crisis. How would displacing more families and elderly from their homes improve this situation? Maybe if there was going to be another apartment block built there would be some rationale, however displacing families and elderly for a single dwelling not only lacks empathy, it lacks forsight in terms of sustainability. As mentioned above, in the last 5 years countless young people, families, and elderly - the people who make Bondi what it is, have been displaced and faced with the housing crisis as numerous Apartment Blocks on Hastings Parade have been bought by Millionaires/Billionaires/Afterpayers to be replaced with single dwelling houses. What may be a quick buck for council is surely a longer term issues in terms of loss of community, homelessness, depression, kids changing schools, elderly losing a sense of hope and purpose, the list goes on - Im sure there is economic costs to council and government which offset the quick buck!

Environmentally, more development cannot be a good thing. I am concerned about the fact that the rock that has been here for mililions of years seems to be getting drilled and dug and cut further and further down everytimes there is a new development. I am concerned that with every new development in Hastings Parade I see more possums and wildlife scurrying around nearby to the sites trying to find somewhere safe. I am concerned that I constantly see all the building dirt and remnants of concrete etc washing into the drains and straight off the cliff to add to pollution of the waterways.

The constant noise pollution and dust pollution is highly stressful for those who have had to endure this every day for years. Noise from heavy machinery - which are so massive they are on a commercial scale requiring equipment that would be seen on commercial building sites, noise from trucks going up and down all day, noise from tradies. Often residents are asked to move cars so oversized trucks can drive in or back out of the narrow one-way street. The trucks often block the street - one way - to pour concrete , offload materials and onload. Street parking is taken up by entitled tradepeople and stationary skip bins or trailers etc (Im sure the millionaires building the dwelling will have multiple car garages and never have to deal with that issue). Our house is constantly full of dust from the building activity and exacerbates my partners asthma.

I would also like to express dissapointment and sadness in the fact that it seems that 'money talks' when the rules need to be bent to allow the current monstrosities to be built in the street.

As noted above, it is firstly empathy from council that is required in regards to this new proposal, but also foresight to see that another developpment approval would compound an an already unsustainable situation.

As a long-term resident of Hastings Pde over 30 years, I am further saddened to hear that more families and friends will be made to move on. The friendliness of our neighbourhood where fences were once not necessary and not wanted, have been replaced by Macmansion fortresses gated and walled off and packed sardine like next to each other. Each new one encroaching on one boundary or another, usually a metre or so of public parking space out front and closeness to boundary lines looming over sidewalks walling off natural airflows and natural community banter.
As others have written above our loss as a community is great. Kate has said the tragedy that is taking place long term residents and families.
Does council have a plan for Ben Buckler or is it in the hands of developers? Could council at least inform Bondi residents of how it sees development continuing in the area? Will Bondi now just be a suburb for the rich with the current residents slowly but surely moving on? Is Ben Buckler setting the trend for the rest of the Bondi Community? Our diverse vibrant community with its eclectic happy welcoming vibe for all now becoming an exclusive zone just like the new gated, walled off mac-fortresses that are going up all around us.
I hope that the displaced families and pensioners can find somewhere to live in this housing crisis and that they do not become another statistic added to the homeless numbers.
I hope that Waverley council reads this comment and takes times to consider the needs of its residents for the long term.
I hope that after many years of accommodating constant building works on Ben Buckler that the residents have some reprieve from all the constant demolitions, sandstone cliff destruction through drilling and removal, noise pollution, dust pollution, traffic jams and holdups, loss of parking spaces and visual pollution.

The proposed dwelling is well outside the current streetscape, and is not in keeping with the character of the surrounding area.

I note in the social impact assessment this is not deemed as being affordable housing and consequently ‘limited social impact’, but given the length of tenure of the current leases this would reflect a significant link for the tenants to the community. These tenants would then have to relocate to a composite site, increasing competition in an historically tight rental market.

On a side but not unrelated note, how has the WC deemed ‘market forces to rectify the housing situation’ worked so far?

I oppose this application as a concerned citizen. This building has been affordable high density housing for the Bondi community for more than four decades, a place that is becoming more and more exclusive and unaffordable for couples and families and anyone other than billionaires. This is typified by the fact that this application has been submitted by a billionaire who has already destroyed to housing complexes on the same street. This building has been Home to pensioners for more than four decades as affordable housing in the place they love to live. It is also Home to a, not yet one month old, baby and his family who are first time parents, renting in a place they love , as well as other children. Should this application go through, which I strongly oppose, a minimum of one year should be given to the residence prior to demolition in order to allow them to find additional housing.

I can’t believe that applications like this are considered let alone approved.

The future for Sydney is not more low density housing, particularly at the expense of apartments that can house multiple families. The family character and charm of the area continues to be eroded so that one ultra wealthy owner can make another mega-mansion - which will likely stay empty.

This is so disappointing and I oppose this as a concerned local community member.

In The Public Interest and in the interests of 'Community Needs not Developer Greed' I Support the points of Objection voiced by Residents and others opposing the development application at 153 Hastings Parade Ben Buckler North Bondi. Councillor dominicWYKanak boondiboondi Bondi Ward Waverley Council, 0499291333.

I strongly oppose this DA on the grounds that is sees yet another block of socially valuable affordable housing being destroyed to make way for a single, hugely expensive home. The rampant impact on Bondi by developers who are buying up and knocking down perfectly reasonable older style buildings that offer affordable housing for our community is a huge concern. This level of development is irrevocably changing our neighbourhoods and not for the better. Ben Buckler is rapidly turning into an elite enclave of high fences, bunkers and security cameras. The DA process is not working across all of Bondi and we are seeing the destruction of friendly, affordable, local neighbourhoods being sacrificed to developer greed.

As a longterm (renting) resident (15 years - now with young family) of Ben Buckler I have seen dramatic change to my neighbourhood in the past 5 years. It was shocking to learn from my neighbour that they had calculated upto 40 units / homes had been demolished on our small 200m stretch of road to make way for a handful of castles / mega homes / residences in that time.

Diversity is critical to the success of any community and if this planning is not stopped, then Ben Buckler will become a gated enclave of the mega-wealthy. Bondi, and Waverley, is better than that. We live here for the rich diversity of people in our LGA.

At a meet and greet last year at our local Ben Buckler cafe, Bru - famous for its communtiy participation - I met Mayor Paula and she heard the same concerns i am raising today. She said there was a Planning pathway that restricted property owners from decreasing the number of residences on a property that was trying to address the errors of the past five years at Ben Buckler.

Where is this directorate in the DA currently submitted and to which I write?

I note designers always find a way around it - the property opposite me originally proposed a couple of 2br units below the main residence that takes up the top 3 floors. As it nears construction completion, I hope Council is going to keep this development to that intent. But I digress (though still onpoint).

An owner looking to knock down a 4x 2br apartment block to make one house is a perverse outcome for the direction of the future of Sydney planning and the future of a richly diverse community in Bondi - we are looking to increase density and diversity - not decrease it. Please stop this outcome, do not approve DA174/2-24 and make sure no such plans are proposed in Waverley in future through guarantees that you can not decrease density in any proposed development.

For a diversity-rich future, rather than a future just for the rich.

As a neighbouring homeowner resident on Hastings Parade, I'm concerned about the loss of affordable housing in our street due to consolidation of affordable rent apartment buildings into single dwelling homes, and the displacement of our neighbours at a time of unaffordable and rapidly increasing rents in Sydney.

I completely agree with the comcerns and comments above. Waverley Council must support the long term residents that are residing at this property/unit block and reject the Developer's DA.