Waverley Council

Waverley’s LGA is only 9 square kilometers with a coastline that stretches approximately 7.5 km. The area contains three beaches, Bondi, Tamarama and Bronte, and is dominated by cliffs and headlands comprised largely of 20 million year old Hawkesbury sandstone imbedded with layers of softer shale. The constant force of erosion has led to the formation of four significant rock platforms. Two of these sites have been declared Intertidal Protected Areas. One is from Bondi Beach, through Mackenzies Bay to Tamarama Beach; the other extends from Bronte Beach to the Waverley Cemetery. The coast walk from Bondi to Bronte and the cliff walk from Dover Heights to Vaucluse take full advantage of the aesthetics of the coastal area and provides the public with many recreational and educational opportunities.

There are five remnant vegetation areas existing in the coastal zone: Diamond Bay, Eastern Reserve, Hugh Bamford Reserve, the southern side of Tamarama Marine Drive and the cliff area at the southern end of Bronte Beach, including the hanging swamp on the eastern side of Waverley Cemetery. The LGA also contains three ocean pools.

The sewage outfalls discharge to the ocean: two release raw sewage at Diamond Bay/Vaucluse and the Bondi sewage treatment plant releases primary treated effluent 2 km offshore via a deep water ocean outfall.