The strategy outlines significant public domain improvements, cultural facilities and mixed-use development designed to boost Bondi Junction’s role as a commercial and community destination, with thousands of new homes, a lively shopping hub, expanded public spaces and major civic upgrades.
The draft Master Plan, developed over the past year with inputs from planning experts, businesses, stakeholders and residents, is a 100-page plan which is effectively the first comprehensive blueprint for Bondi Junction in over two decades, and in doing so, signals a clear shift in how councils are positioning themselves in the current planning environment.
At its core, the masterplan is attempting to reposition Bondi Junction from what it largely functions as today - a transport interchange anchored by a major retail centre - into something far more layered. The ambition is to transform it into what the plan describes as the “civic and cultural heart of Sydney’s East,” a place that is active beyond commuting hours and capable of supporting a broader mix of uses, experiences and communities.
The plan aims to transform Bondi Junction from a “glorified shopping stopover” into a bona fide day-to-night precinct. The much-maligned Oxford Street Mall is set for a glow-up, recast as a sunlit hub for retail, wellness and culture by day, before morphing into a lively promenade after dark – with extended dining, live music and community events.
Waverley Mayor Will Nemesh says Bondi Junction has all the elements of a high-performing precinct, including a major transport interchange, an excellent location and a premium retail offering, but its full potential has remained untapped for too long. “This excited plan creates a town centre for the next generation that is vibrant, accessible and welcoming and supports people, business, and community life,” he explains.
Two major catalyst projects anchor the whole transformation. The first is an 18-hour Oxford Street Mall, featuring a grand arrival arcade, a new 1,500-square-metre public square, upgraded retail and dining and improved greenspaces.
The second, the Civic Precinct redevelopment, is centred around a new state-of-the-art community and civic facility with potential for a new and relocated library, a performance theatre, flexible spaces for classes, meetings or workshops and creative spaces for art, music and youth programs. The adjoining Clemenston Park would also be expanded and upgraded as part of the proposal, while pedestrian connections will help deliver safer, more people-focused streets throughout the precinct.
The plan also proposes a more seamless, people-focused network. Anyone who’s navigated the current maze of bus stops, escalators and station entrances knows it’s not exactly intuitive. The proposal would relocate the main entrance to Bondi Junction Station to Rowe Street, creating a more direct, legible connection to the mall and smoothing out the daily commuter scramble. It also includes clearer pedestrian links, improved wayfinding and better integration between transport modes.
Beyond investment in hospitality, the plan also sets out a vision for more housing and office developments, more green space, upgraded lighting, better connectivity and more. The headline figure is 3,000 new dwellings, with ten per cent earmarked as affordable. But the pitch here is density done thoughtfully: taller buildings concentrated in the core, tapering out to mid-rise and terrace-style homes, while heritage areas remain intact. Growth would be spread across five key zones, including Oxford Street Mall, the Civic Precinct and Bronte Road Village.
One of the more consistent pieces of community feedback throughout the Vision phase was the need for more greenery, better public spaces, and a more comfortable urban environment. Despite being surrounded by major parks, Bondi Junction itself has relatively limited accessible open space, with much of the public realm dominated by hard surfaces and traffic infrastructure.The plan responds with a network of new and upgraded public spaces, increased tree canopy, and what it terms the “Parkline,” a green link connecting Waverley Park through to Centennial Park. This is not just about aesthetics. It is about addressing heat, improving liveability, and ensuring that increased density is matched by access to high-quality outdoor space.