Bondi Beach calls for boycott
Bondi community members are threatening to boycott all Wesfarmers stores as part of a campaign to stop a Liquorland from opening on Campbell Pde.
While brawls, violence, vandalism and underage drinking may be a typical Saturday night at Bondi Beach for some, local residents have made it their mission to contain alcohol abuse in the area.
Secretary of the Bondi Beach Precinct, Paul Paechhas lived in the areafor 25 years.
He said the saturation of liquor outlets has negatively impacted the community.
“There is noise in the street, it’s the broken bottles in the street, the vandalism to public and private property. It’s also the damage in personal violence and attacks. A policeman was recently attacked by a group of people drinking and had his leg broken.”
Residents sare also concerned about public urination and vomit on
suburban streets.
With community and police pressures mounting, Mayor John Wakefield moved a motion on April 24 to reject the Liquorland DA on the basis it is contrary to public interest.
Residents are now concerned that the Wesfarmers group will appeal against the council’s decision on Liqourland at the Land and Environment Court.
In response,the Bondi Beach Precinctis calling for a community-wide boycott at all Wesfarmers stores including Kmart, Coles, Officeworks and Bunnings Warehouse.
Mr Paech said: “If Wesfarmers proceeds with this we’ll become a lot more aggressive and noisy about actively boycotting these stores.”
Lenore Kulakauskas is the Convener of the Bondi Beach Precinct and a representative of the Liquor Working Group, an initiative set up in 2011 by the Waverley Council in response to complaints about the growing number of liquor outlets in Bondi Beach, Bondi Junction and Charing Cross.
“There’s been a huge increase in the number of liquor outlets by the beach over even the last 12 months,” she said.
“Our main objection with Liquorland was that it serves cheap alcohol in an alcohol free zone. You just put cheap alcohol, kids, backpackers and Bondi Park, which is just across the road, and it’s just not a good mix.”
The Precinct believes the increased demand of liquor licenses is a “fallout” effect from the City Council’s freeze on new liquor licenses in the City and King’s Cross.
“People are saying Bondi is a soft touch, let’s go down there and open up a little bar and council won’t be too worried,” Mr Paech said.
“The exporting from the hotspots to Bondi appears to be a concern to police out here as well. There is a tipping point.”
Ms Kulakauskas said: “The problem needs to be dealt with before it becomes a big problem, up in King’s Cross they have come to the point where things have gone out of control.
“We don’t want that to happen at the Beach.”
By Kate Horowitz
