Housing & planning · Waverley Council
Bondi Junction plan keeps 10% affordable-housing target as council orders more height and shadow testing
Waverley Council has amended its master plan after 830 submissions and 470 survey responses, but the changes still require modelling, a December report and another public exhibition.
Reporting from public council minutes. How this article was prepared
Waverley Council has retained a proposed 10% affordable-housing provision in its amended Bondi Junction Vision and Master Plan, while ordering more work on building heights, shadows, open space and transport after receiving 830 written submissions and 470 survey responses, according to the unconfirmed minutes of its 20 October 2026 meeting.
The recorded resolution directs officers to review height modelling, prepare detailed shadow diagrams and test upper and lower height ranges, including an 85-metre scenario in the Oxford Street Mall. The work is to examine possible impacts on Clementson Park and other key spaces, as well as implications for dwelling yield.
The plan is also to include a short-term action to begin designing a tree-planted bike path along Waverley Street, connecting Waverley Park with Bondi Road. It adds proposed pocket-park locations at Grey Street and calls for further investigation of a town square between Oxford Street Mall and Spring Street, including whether the suggested 1,500-square-metre size remains suitable.
Other adopted refinements remove references to a possible ring road and call for more ambitious building sustainability measures. Those measures include a design guide for new development that is all-electric, high-performing and resilient to climate change, with reference to current investigations into Bondi Junction’s electricity supply.
The 10% affordable-housing wording was not made subject to the further economic analysis proposed in an amendment, which was lost. Separate amendments seeking no net loss of on-street parking for the Waverley Street bike path and Grey Street pocket parks also failed. The final resolution does not approve new towers, construct a bike path or deliver affordable housing. It sets planning work that must be developed further.
Officers are due to report to the December 2026 Council meeting on how the refinements have been incorporated and on the detailed modelling. The amended plan considered at that meeting is to be put on public exhibition. A rescission motion is scheduled for 17 November.
A separate item on retaining dwelling density and protecting existing affordable housing was deferred to 17 November. Its proposed work would review controls used by Woollahra and the City of Sydney, consider their possible application in Waverley and prepare a planning proposal concerning dwelling density in well-located areas. That proposal has not been adopted.
What deserves a closer look
The Bondi Junction resolution is a planning direction with later modelling and public exhibition, rather than approval of specific construction or a completed affordable-housing programme.
The 10% affordable-housing wording remains in the adopted resolution without the proposed qualification of further economic analysis.
The separate review of existing affordable and low-cost dwelling protections remains unresolved because its item was deferred.
Questions for follow-up reporting
What height ranges, dwelling yields and shadow impacts will the December modelling show for the affected Bondi Junction blocks?
What planning mechanism and viability assessment will be used to implement the 10% affordable-housing provision?
What decision will Council make on the deferred review of Woollahra and City of Sydney dwelling-retention controls on 17 November?
What happens next
Under the recorded resolution, officers are to report to the December 2026 Council meeting on incorporating the refinements and the detailed modelling.
The recorded resolution provides for the amended Bondi Junction Master Plan considered at the December meeting to be put on public exhibition.
The rescission motion on the Bondi Junction Master Plan is scheduled for consideration at the 17 November 2026 Council meeting.
The deferred dwelling-retention and affordable-housing-controls item is scheduled for consideration at the 17 November 2026 Council meeting; its proposed investigation and planning proposal remain unapproved.
Check the record
These passages were matched to the source text. Read them in context in the original minutes.
The minutes declare the amended motion carried and record a decision updating the Bondi Junction Vision and Master Plan after noting 830 written submissions and 470 survey responses.
(v) A review of heights on the block bounded by Bondi Road, Dalley Street, Council Street and Paul Street to ensure appropriate transition (pages 57 and 68).' THE MOTION AS AMENDED WAS THEN PUT AND DECLARED CARRIED. DECISION That Council: 1. Notes that public exhibition of the draft Bondi Junction Vision and Master Plan closed on 24 June 2026, attracting 830 written submissions and 470 survey responses, and thanks the community for the depth of its participation. 2. Notes that the submissions, across the four strategies of Activation, Connectivity, Greening and Open Space, and Growth, point to a clear and consistent set of improvements the community is asking Council to make. 3. Updates the Bondi Junction Vision and Master Plan to better align with the concerns raised in the submissions, with the following refinements: (a) Include a set of key principles in the Activation Strategy (pages 30 to 32) and the Civic Precinct Catalyst Project (pages 84 to 90) committing to the provision of social infrastructure, including maintaining and, where required, expanding childcare provision, lobbying the NSW Government for public school and public pre-school facilities to meet increased density, and maintaining and expanding the library in the Civic precinct.
CM/6.2/26.10 — carried motion and decision, clauses 1–3(a)
Open original minutes ↗The quoted clauses call for reviewing height modelling against solar access requirements and preparing detailed shadow diagrams to assess impacts on Clementson Park and other key spaces.
(i) Review the height modelling to confirm that building heights align with the solar access requirements, and remove any inconsistencies. (j) Develop detailed shadow diagrams so the community can directly assess overshadowing impacts on Clementson Park and other key spaces.
CM/6.2/26.10 — decision, clauses 3(i)–3(j)
Open original minutes ↗The quoted clauses call for modelling upper and lower height ranges, including an 85-metre Oxford Street Mall scenario, preparing shadow diagrams of proposed height changes and noting implications for dwelling yield.
(v) A review of heights on the block bounded by Bondi Road, Dalley Street, Council Street and Paul Street to ensure appropriate transition (pages 57 and 68). (z) Model the upper and lower height ranges, with accompanying shadow diagrams, including modelling the 85-metre scenario in the Oxford Street Mall, with officers to recommend the best approach based on that modelling. (aa) Develop detailed shadow diagrams of all proposed height changes, across both the upper and lower ranges. (bb) Note any implications of modelling on dwelling yield. (cc) Identify any other improvements that could be made in line with the public feedback.
CM/6.2/26.10 — decision, clauses 3(z)–3(bb)
Open original minutes ↗The quoted clauses call for adding a short-term action to commence design of a Waverley Street bike path with integrated tree planting, connecting to Waverley Park and Bondi Road, and deleting ring-road references from the Connectivity Strategy.
(e) Add a short-term action (page 41) to commence design of a Waverley Street bike path with integrated tree planting, connecting to Waverley Park and Bondi Road. (f) Delete all references to a 'ring road' throughout the Connectivity Strategy (pages 36 to 41).
CM/6.2/26.10 — decision, clauses 3(e)–3(f)
Open original minutes ↗The quoted text calls for investigating the appropriate size of the proposed town square between Oxford Street Mall and Spring Street, with officers to recommend whether 1,500 square metres remains appropriate or should be expanded.
(g) Provide categorisation of the different types of open space for transparency, distinguishing green open space from non-green open space (page 49). (h) Investigate the appropriate size of the proposed new town square between Oxford Street Mall and Spring Street. This could include scenarios with reference to relevant case studies, and have officers recommend whether 1,500 square metres remains appropriate or should be expanded (pages 49, 78 and 83).
CM/6.2/26.10 — decision, clause 3(h)
Open original minutes ↗The quoted text calls for adding locations for pocket parks at Grey Street.
(m) Add locations for pocket parks at Grey Street (page 49). (n) Remove reference to a potential 'high line' for Syd Einfeld Drive. (o) Remove uplift from the Mill Hill Childcare Centre on Ebley Street to provide certainty that this site will not be redeveloped.
CM/6.2/26.10 — decision, clause 3(m)
Open original minutes ↗The quoted clauses call for strengthening action G.2 to reflect 10% affordable housing in perpetuity and preparing a design guide ensuring new development is all-electric, high-performing and climate-resilient, with reference to current investigations into Bondi Junction's electrical power supply.
(s) Explicitly identify the retention of Victorian and Edwardian frontages in the West Oxford Street growth area (page 66). (t) Strengthen action G.2 to reflect provision of 10% affordable housing in perpetuity (page Minutes of Council Meeting 20 October 2026 This is page 13 of the minutes of the Council meeting held on 20 October 2026 73). (u) Include a key principle (page 59) and strengthen action G.5 (page 73) to make building sustainability more ambitious, with objectives for sustainable buildings and the preparation of a design guide ensuring new development is all-electric, high performing and resilient to the impacts of climate change, with reference to current investigations into electrical power supply in Bondi Junction (v) Strengthen action G.7 to implement a design excellence strategy that ensures high quality architectural and urban design outcomes are achieved (page 73).
CM/6.2/26.10 — decision, clauses 3(t)–3(u)
Open original minutes ↗The amendment adding further economic analysis to the 10% affordable-housing wording was declared lost.
Cr Spicer That clause 3(t) be amended to read as follows: 'Strengthen action G.2 to reflect provision of 10% affordable housing in perpetuity (page 73), subject to further economic analysis.' Minutes of Council Meeting 20 October 2026 This is page 11 of the minutes of the Council meeting held on 20 October 2026 THE AMENDMENT WAS PUT AND DECLARED LOST.
CM/6.2/26.10 — amendment 11
Open original minutes ↗Source record
Reporting from the unconfirmed minutes of Waverley Council's Council meeting held on 20 October 2026. Confirmation of those minutes is not established by the supplied record.
Key facts from the minutes
- Council's recorded resolution responded to 830 written submissions and 470 survey responses on the Bondi Junction plan.
- The amended plan includes further height and shadow modelling, a proposed Waverley Street bike path, Grey Street pocket parks and investigation of a town square's size.
- The resolution retains wording for 10% affordable housing in perpetuity and strengthens proposed sustainability requirements for new development.
- Officers must report on the refinements and modelling in December 2026, after which the amended plan is to go on public exhibition.
- The separate dwelling-retention and affordable-housing-controls item was deferred to 17 November 2026, rather than adopted.
Why it matters
- The proposed changes could shape future building heights, housing density, open space, transport and sustainability requirements in Bondi Junction. Their practical effect remains unresolved while modelling and public exhibition are still required.