Entrepreneur plans to turn Bondi Beach into private beach club says local backlash won’t stop him

A entrepreneur behind plans to turn part of Bondi Beach into an Italian-style beach club has vowed to push ahead with his proposal despite intense opposition from locals.

Janek Gazecki, the founder of the Amalfi Beach Club, has said his intentions for the venue were misunderstood when he first announced plans last October.

The former lawyer and Bondi resident has dismissed claims the venue is an ‘exclusive’ or ‘private’ club that would only cater for the rich and famous. 

Janek Gazecki, the founder of the Amalfi beach club, (pictured with his wife Natalie) has said his intentions for the venue have been misunderstood

Mr Gazecki insists the plan is no more controversial than ‘a restaurant in the sand’ and said anyone is welcome to enter the venue regardless of their age or wealth, he told The Guardian on Sunday. 

With plans to lodge the development application with the Waverley Council this week, new ‘teaser’ images of the controversial venue have been released. 

The Amalfi Beach Club is intended to run for four months from November to February, operating with a kitchen and a bar, with a capacity for 100 people. 

Patrons no longer have to pay $80 to enter the club, but can purchase a cabana or day bed for the same price to go towards their spend on food and beverages. 

The former lawyer has announced plans to push forward with plans despite opposition from locals and politicians, and has released teaser images of the venue (pictured)

The former lawyer has announced plans to push forward with plans despite opposition from locals and politicians, and has released teaser images of the venue (pictured)

Mr Gazecki has announced plans to lodge the development application with the Waverley Council this week (pictured, an artist's impression of the Amalfi Beach Club)

Mr Gazecki has announced plans to lodge the development application with the Waverley Council this week (pictured, an artist’s impression of the Amalfi Beach Club)

Mr Gazecki has said there is already a daybed hire business about 100 metres from his proposed stretch of sand.

‘The only difference with us is we wish to introduce a food and beverage service to go with that,’ he said. 

Mr Gazecki said the venue would take up 1.3 per cent of the 55,000 square metres of sand on the beach and had been designed to fit in with the existing Bondi Pavilion. 

‘The Mediterranean design celebrates the heritage of Bondi Beach by paying tribute to our very own Pavilion, also inspired by inter-war Italian architecture, while complimenting the sandstone hues of Bondi’s headlands’, a post on the Club’s Facebook page read. 

Mr Gazecki said his Italian-style beach club has been designed to fit in with the existing Bondi Pavilion

Mr Gazecki said his Italian-style beach club has been designed to fit in with the existing Bondi Pavilion

Mr Gazecki revealed the process of building the club’s facade had already begun and shipping containers had been purchased to constitute the kitchen and bar.   

The entrepreneur said opponents of the plan had been misled as to how large and exclusive the venue would be and insisted he didn’t plan on privatising the beach. 

‘None of that stuff that hit the media was in any way related to our proposal,’ he said. 

‘It was weird speculation. It is pure and simply a restaurant on the sand. It is not privatising the beach, we are leasing the beach.’

Mr Gazecki said the venue would take up 1.3% of the 55,000 square metres of beach and was 'just an experience for those people who want to enjoy the beach in a particular way'

Mr Gazecki said the venue would take up 1.3% of the 55,000 square metres of beach and was ‘just an experience for those people who want to enjoy the beach in a particular way’

Mr Gazecki compared his proposal to plans to host a pop-up restaurant on Manly beach next month for the ‘Taste of the Beaches’ food event organised by the Northern Beaches Council.

The Waverley Council on Sunday confirmed it had not received a development proposal for the Amalfi Beach Club. 

‘Bondi Beach is crown land and therefore landowner’s consent from the minister for planning and public spaces is required prior to any DA being determined,’ a council spokesperson said in a statement. 

‘We will continue to keep the community informed of any updates.’

Last November, New South Wales planning minister Rob Stokes vowed to veto the proposal, calling the club ‘elitist’ and ‘un-Australian’. 

The minister on Sunday confirmed he was still opposed to the club, and promised he would ‘step in to stop a proposal to carve off part of the beach for private use’. 

Mr Gazecki (pictured with his wife Natalie) said the venue is for 'everyone', regardless of their wealth or age

Mr Gazecki (pictured with his wife Natalie) said the venue is for ‘everyone’, regardless of their wealth or age

A change.org petition to ‘Stop Amalfi Beach Club taking over space on Bondi Beach for Financial Gain’ set-up last November has been signed by over 34,000 people. 

‘Absolutely shameful undertaking. Having wealth does not entitle you to carve out portions of natural reserve of any description for yourself’, one commented. 

‘Fundamentally opposed to this use of publicly owned land for one charlatan to start carving it up to make his own money, but also cheesy, tacky, cringey proposal… no thanks’, another agreed.  

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk