There is now an official petition against Janek Gazecki and his plot to turn 2% of Bondi Beach into an $80pp VIP club. Titled “Stop Amalfi Beach Club taking over space on Bondi Beach for Financial Gain”, the petition went up on Change.org just a week ago and already has over 27,000 signatures.
Posted by Mel Levy, the petition is aimed at Waverley Council, who are currently considering a revised version of Gazecki’s plan, which proposes a running period of February through to May.
In her description which goes through the reasoning behind the petition, Levy has called out Gazecki’s scheme to build his ‘Amalfi Beach Club’ as “quite simply un-Australia.”
“On an ordinary pre-Covid day in Summer, Bondi is packed to the hilt, with approximately 40,000 people visiting the beach, so reserving even 2% of the beach space (if this is even accurate) displaces at least 800 from the beach in favour of a handful of the elite who can afford it,” writes Levy.
“This proposal is quite simply un-Australian… Amalfi’s business case indicates the cost will be approximately $80 per person for 2 hours and is targetting top income earners.
“This is before they have added additional fee to service customers with food and drink from surrounding businesses. There is only one party standing to gain from this proposal and it’s Amalfi.”
There truly is no mincing of words here.
Gazecki’s original scheme which was presented to Waverley Local Council proposes a 30 x 40m beach area (2% of Bondi) to be taken over by cabanas and daybeds. The proposed name for the whole fiasco is ‘Amalfi Beach Club’, which definitely sounds rich.
Gazecki hasn’t really done the best job of defending himself, either. He recently came out with claims that the whole idea was for everyone, not just the rich, despite being $80 bucks a pop.
“The 80 bucks comes off your food and alcohol for the session, it’s not an additional charge,” he told NCA NewsWire.
He then doubled down his defence, further digging himself in a hole with Ben Fordham on 2GB.
“I would challenge anyone to attend a Bondi restaurant and pay less than 80 bucks – it’s not an extortionate price by any means,” he stated, in defence of its price tag.
“I don’t know if anyone has recently been to the Amalfi Coast… but the clubs there are not elitist. You just walk in off the street and you get pampered with some yummy food and alcohol and enjoy it with your kids – that’s all this is.”
Sure Jan(ek). Sure.
