Randwick City Councillors met for their Ordinary Council Meeting on Tuesday 29 September 2020 to discuss a range of matters. This included the trial of Coogee Bay Road as a shared space, the extension of the food truck weekends throughout summer, the introduction of beachside areas as temporary alcohol prohibited areas over summer and the encouragement of street parties over Christmas.

Summer coastal plan endorsed

Council’s strategic approach to managing coastal areas – which includes beaches, parks, reserves, playgrounds, outdoor gyms and ocean pools – this summer has been endorsed. The plan’s focus is on maximising the amount of open space available to the community in order to support social distancing and encourage community wellbeing. The approach acknowledges both the need to keep public spaces open and available for the community while also adhering to NSW Public Health Orders. Council will manage numbers in public spaces through a focus on ensuring community awareness and support, and will work together with NSW Police, NSW Surf Lifesaving, Transport for NSW and other key stakeholders in a collaborative approach to helping our community enjoy this coming summer safely.

Eat, Drink, Play food truck program to be expanded

The popular food truck program that operated in the Heffron Park and Chifley Reserve car parks in July and September this year will be extended until the end of the 2020-21 financial year. The program, called Eat Drink Play, provides residents with the chance to dine out, support local food truck businesses and maintain social distancing. Eat, Drink, Play will be extended to run from Thursdays to Sundays and will include a range of new locations to be trialed in the coming months.

Coogee Bay Road shared space to be trialed

From November, Coogee Bay Road will temporarily become a one-way street in order to provide additional space for local businesses to extend trading areas, install COVID-safe dining options and provide other opportunities for social distancing. The one-way road will be in place between Arden Street and Brook Street, heading west and maintains parking amenity. The trial will last for three months and has received support from residents and businesses. This project has been granted $100,000 from the State Government’s Shared Spaces Fund.

Funding for Maroubra Surf Lifesaving Club

Council has provided $400,000 in funding to Maroubra Surf Lifesaving Club to complete works that will increase storage capability for lifesaving equipment, provide new beach surveillance and an observation platform, create a new training and education room and improve the current community room. The Maroubra Surf Lifesaving Club has also secured $305,000 as part of the NSW Government’s Infrastructure Grant program.

Temporary alcohol prohibited areas introduced for summer

Several beachside parks and reserves will become temporary alcohol prohibited areas during popular holiday periods over summer at the request of Eastern Beaches Police Area Command. This will provide police with the ability to address antisocial behaviour that compromises community safety. The temporary ban will be in place from 8pm Wednesday 23 December until 6am Monday 4 January 2021 and 8pm Sunday 24 January 2021 to 6am Thursday 28 January 2021. Alcohol is already prohibited on all eastern suburbs beaches throughout the year.

Support for Christmas street parties

This festive season, Randwick Council will support residents who wish to hold small, COVID-safe Christmas street parties. Each year, Council funds and facilitates the traffic control and temporary road closures required for residents to hold street parties as part of its community-building ‘street party’ initiative.

New first aid room for Clovelly Surf Lifesaving Club

Clovelly Surf Lifesaving Club will receive funding as part of the 2021-22 financial year budget to relocate their office within the clubhouse. This will give Council Lifeguards and Volunteer patrol lifeguards immediate and direct access from the waterfront to and construct a new first aid room.

Support for university funding during COVID

Council will write to the Federal Government and local Federal members with the urgent request that University staff be granted access to Jobkeeper payments and increase funding to support Universities and their staff and students during this severe economic crisis.