Letter Of The Month… Bondi Not Just The Property Of Residents

By David Vago of Bondi on July 3, 2014 in Other

Hi James/Dan, in regard to the June Letter of the Month, I am not the person to start a war of words through your magazine (which is brilliant by the way), but I thought it would be fair to set a few things straight. If I was such a bad person who doesn’t care, as depicted in the article, why does the SMH publish regular articles about my ideas for Sydney, and why did Sir Richard Branson feature me in his Voyeur magazine, and 2GB and 2UE interview me? It’s because I speak the language of the people, and not the gibberish of self-interest nanny state advocacy groups.

I acknowledge the comments made in the June Letter of the Month and poor behaviour by anyone using public space should be dealt with effectively by authorities, but those nanny state groups have got to stop lobbying for so many restrictions on people and their use of space – it’s ruining Sydney.

Unfortunately, there were some inaccuracies portrayed within the story. I respond with the following points:

1. The protest was created for the good of all visitors to Bondi as it was in response to Council’s laws, and from all accounts it was a successful afternoon. I invited 3,500 and had 20 people there, mostly friends and family. The point made was very clear: social media is not something that Council should be frightened of. The numbers proved this.

2. The rest of the people attending this particular day (including the DJs) have been enjoying the Grassy Knoll on most summer weekends for many years before I moved to Bondi. All I did was embrace the music and promote the concept of everyone together enjoying summer vibes as a community. There were plenty of families and kids there as well.

3. The Facebook page was shut down 24 hours after the event due to someone from ‘Bondi Pride’ attacking me and others personally. Plenty of people commented and all comments were received equally, until this ‘locals only’ advocate went on the attack.

The more important issue than defending my decision to hold a protest is: why do families claim ownership of public space? Children enjoy space in their own way and single young people have to deal with that, so why can’t families embrace the way young people want to use public space? If you don’t like it, sit somewhere else. There are plenty of areas to choose from, including playgrounds, which last time I checked are spaces designated for kids. So what’s more offensive: great tunes and dancing or a bunch of screaming kids kicking sand in your face?

This new theory (created mostly by over-protective elderly parents) of stopping young people from having fun in public is conservatism gone mad. Remember the 80s? You could bring an Esky to the park or beach, play some tunes and everybody was happy. What happened to that Australian spirit? Why aren’t there more events on Bondi Beach during the year? If you visit any main city beach around the world in places like Rio, France, Spain, LA and Bali, you will see those main beaches packed with people enjoying the atmosphere of food, drinks, music, dance, bean bag areas, festivals, barbecues, food stalls, etc. We had an amazing Diner En Blanc (white dinner) on the beach last year and it was incredible. Everyone loved it. The word from Council is that this won’t happen again. Why not? There were no issues; it was a sophisticated and well-organised event.

If you want a quiet suburban beach lifestyle, I suggest you move north or south. I lived in Cronulla and Stanwell Park – no young people, just old people and families. Perfect! No music, no dancing, no tourists – nothing. Beaches like Bondi and Manly are busy cosmopolitan spaces frequented by young professional couples, travellers and singles, and are not just the property of residents. They are global destinations that belong to all Australians. If you think the rates we pay make us owners, you are wrong. Bondi is important enough to actually be under the National Trust, like Sydney Harbour. The stupidity of not fixing anything in Bondi – letting it fall apart, banning any sort of fun on the beach, no music, no food, one company selling drinks and no events – is very 1900s. The real question is why can’t Australia have its own piece of Ibiza, or a milder version, or St Tropez? For most Australians Bondi is the perfect starting point, but this does not mean families can’t enjoy the festivities.