To stay or go? Council debates future of Bondi pedestrian bridge

Bondi residents, community groups and Jewish leaders have urged Waverley Council not to demolish the footbridge at the centre of the Bondi Beach terror attack amid staunch public debate about whether the heritage-listed landmark should be retained or removed.

The fate of the pedestrian bridge at Bondi Park remains in limbo following a 2½-hour council meeting convened by Waverley Council on Thursday night, attended by a packed public gallery and overseen by a heavy presence of police and security guards.

On the meeting agenda were four items, including consideration of the future of the pedestrian bridge, which was used as a vantage point by the father-and-son gunmen on December 14 when they killed 15 people and injured dozens more in an antisemitic attack on the first night of Hanukkah.

The meeting resulted in councillors voting in favour of seeking a report into the costs, timetable and approvals process associated with either replacing or restoring the pedestrian bridge, with a final decision on its future not expected to be made until at least the middle of this year.

A structural report commissioned by the council in 2024 concluded the pedestrian bridge, along with a southern pedestrian bridge also crossing Park Drive at Bondi Park, were deemed to have “reached the end of their useful lives and require replacement within several years”.

Waverley Mayor Will Nemesh, speaking during the meeting, noted the replacement of the bridge would be considered in the context of discussions about the establishment of a permanent memorial in Bondi Park to honour the victims of the attack. He said a final decision would be subject to further community consultation, including with the families of the 15 people killed.

The vote comes one day after NSW Premier Chris Minns added his voice to the debate, calling for the structure be torn down to prevent it from becoming a “ghoulish reminder” while also noting his preference for “families to be given the final say.”

Waverley Deputy Mayor Keri Spooner said it “was far too soon to be making definitive decisions” and urged the response to the attack not to be solely defined by debate around the pedestrian bridges.

“The council will be listening to everyone in our community, and nothing will be happening until an appropriate time,” she said.

Councillors at the meeting also voted in favour of a range of other measures in response to the attack, including holding a civic function in appreciation and gratitude of first responders, dedicating mural panels along the Bondi Beach Sea Wall promenade to community artwork for 12 months, and holding an exhibition at Bondi Pavilion Art Gallery showcasing the cultural and community artistic response to the tragedy.

Friends of Bondi Pavilion member Nicolette Boaz, speaking at the meeting, called on councillors to honour the heritage value of the existing bridges and broader parklands.

“The parklands, the beach, the pavilion, and the bridge are synonymous with Bondi and we cannot let the terrible attack that happened hurt us more by allowing the destruction of public heritage,” she said.

Those sentiments were shared by Sandy Hollis of the Sydney Jewish Museum, who advocated for the bridges to be retained as a memorial to those killed and as a “lasting symbol of what Australia stands for”.

Shua Solomon, president of the Rabbinical Council of NSW, called for the memorial to become a “public display of Jewish pride and light”.

Michelle Goldman, chief executive of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, said the attack had “left lasting scars that have touched every corner of Waverley just as it touched every corner of the Jewish community”.

“Jewish communities across Australia have experienced unprecedented levels of antisemitism since October 7, 2023. It has no place here, not in our schools, not in our universities, not in our streets and public places and certainly not in Bondi,” she told the meeting.

Goldman also urged other councils to follow Waverley Council’s lead by adopting strategies that carried commitments to combat antisemitism in local communities.

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