Club revamp to pose traffic woes

The redevelopment of Hakoah Club on Hall Street, Bondi Beach, has ignited a heated debate around the state of traffic congestion in Waverley.

Labor councillor Paula Masselos said the difficulties of traffic congestion signal a wider problem, not just limited to Hall Street.

“Now with the Hakoah redevelopment, it’s brought in a whole lot more traffic and a whole lot more congestion,” she said.

“This is an example of what potentially might happen elsewhere.”

Labor councillor John Wakefield urged Waverley Council to respond to the needs of the community.

“Council’s responsibility is that any development that is approved is sensitive to its neighbourhood. If something seems to be having an impact on that area, then the council needs to respond to that impact,” he said.

Cr Wakefield argued that reworking the existing traffic and pedestrian plan will help alleviate the issue of congestion.

“A well worked-out traffic and pedestrian plan enhances an area,” he said.

“What we have in Bondi universally are two hour metered or two hour not metered zones. It’s very unsubtle, it’s very un-resourceful, it’s very un-strategic.”

Liberal councillor Joy Clayton said traffic and congestion are to be expected in densely populated area such as Waverley and it is unfair to single out Hall Street.

“Why pick on Hall Street? It’s [traffic] everywhere – you go down Bondi Road for instance, at any time of the day. It doesn’t matter where you are in Waverley. It’s a highly densely populated area,” she said.

“It’s a lot of people living in a small 9.2 [square] kilometres. They know that the traffic’s bad, but it’s their preference.”