Waverley Council is inviting residents and business owners to apply for a seat on the working group that will set the rules for Bondi Junction’s first Special Entertainment Precinct, with expressions of interest invited throughout July 2026.
The council approved the 12-month trial in December 2025, aiming to start it mid-2027 across the E2 Commercial Core bounded by Syd Einfeld Drive, Hollywood Avenue and Ebley Street. The working group’s first meeting is scheduled for August 2026, giving members 10 months to help shape a Precinct Management Plan before live music and later trading hours are introduced.
“Our community has told us they want a reinvigorated, vibrant Bondi Junction with more to do at night, more places to eat, socialise and enjoy music and cultural events,” a Waverley Council statement said. “We are planning to trial the Bondi Junction SEP from mid-2027. Following the trial, Council will review feedback and decide whether to make the precinct permanent, adjust the rules or discontinue them.”
The SEP is designed to give restaurants, pubs and clubs in the commercial core extended operating flexibility while a dedicated noise management plan protects nearby residents. The model draws on successful precincts in Enmore Road, Balmain and Manly, where similar frameworks have supported nightlife without major conflict.
Community input is central. The working group will include residents, businesses and other stakeholders. Council says managing noise impacts remains its top priority, and the governance arrangements will ensure local voices are heard before the trial starts.
The initiative is separate from the broader Bondi Junction Master Plan, which proposes 3,000 new homes, upgraded public spaces and a Civic & Cultural Precinct. However, both projects aim to revitalise the area after the 2024 Westfield stabbing and Bondi Beach terror attack. Council sees the SEP as a way to make the transit hub a destination after dark, complementing the Master Plan’s day-to-night vision for Oxford Street Mall.
Related to This Story
Waverley Council
Local government authority for the Waverley local government area in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, responsible for planning, services and initiatives including the Bondi Junction SEP trial.
Special Entertainment Precinct
NSW Government Vibrancy Reforms initiative that designates areas for flexible night-time economy rules on trading hours, entertainment and noise management while protecting residents.
If you want to shape how the rules work, applying for the working group is the most direct route. For those who are simply keen to enjoy later dining and music, the trial will begin mid-2027 and run for 12 months before a review determines its future. That review will consider economic uplift, attendance and resident feedback, potentially locking in permanent arrangements if the balance works.
The working group is expected to fill quickly. Council has not set a cap, but the July 2026 opening offers a limited window to get involved before the initial planning phase closes. Applications can be lodged through Waverley Council’s Have Your Say website.
Bondi Junction is served by the T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line and multiple bus routes, making the precinct highly accessible without a car. Council encourages visitors to use public transport, especially as the night-time trial will stretch evening services. Daytime visitors can pair the precinct with a beach trip or shopping along Oxford Street Mall, where future upgrades will eventually link the mall to evening events.
The trial’s success will depend on whether it can generate late-night energy without disturbing the residents who live above the shops and on the neighbouring streets. In Enmore, the model worked because the rules were clear from the start. Bondi Junction’s working group has a chance to set that clarity now.