An Aboriginal land council has lodged a claim over one of Sydney’s most iconic coastal sites frequented by famous faces and local swimmers alike.
The La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council has been waiting for the outcome of a claim made over Bondi Icebergs for several years, 2GB host Ben Fordham revealed on Friday morning.
He said the claim was currently before Lands Minister Steve Kamper – but that it had first been made back in 2009.
Fordham told his listeners the land council said in a statement it “looks forward to the minister determining this claim”.
“We remain willing to work constructively with Bondi Icebergs while the claim is being assessed,” it said, according to Fordham.
But Fordham was unimpressed by the claim.
“We need to remember this is one of Sydney’s most iconic sites with the best view of the world’s most famous beach, Bondi,” he said.
“It’s the only licensed swimming club in the world and all year round, no matter how cold, people are swimming laps.
“When famous faces are in Sydney – whether it’s Mick Jagger or Oprah Winfrey – they go to Icebergs.”
News.com.au has contacted the land council and Mr Kamper’s office for comment.
Fordham told his listeners the claim highlighted the 44,000 unresolved land claims in the state, and urged Mr Kamper to “urgently step in and fix this system”.
He said 2GB had confirmed “every surf club” along the eastern beaches of Sydney was also facing land claims over them.
He said claims over other clubs, including North Bondi, Clovelly, Coogee, Tamarama, Bronte and Maroubra, were “further proof showing why the government needs to fix this chaos”.
Under NSW legislation Aboriginal land councils can lodge claims for the return of Crown land that can be lawfully sold or leased, not be lawfully used or occupied, not needed for essential public purpose and not subject to native title claims.
Claims are assessed by the Aboriginal Land Claim Assessment Team, which later makes a recommendation to the minister on whether land is claimable.
Last week it was reported a long-running tennis club on Sydney’s north shore would have to vacate after an Aboriginal land council successfully claimed ownership of the site.
The Northern Suburbs Tennis Association will have to hand over the keys to the eight-court Talus Street Tennis Centre at Naremburn by September 30, following a claim lodged by the Metropolitan Aboriginal Land Council in 2022.
It was also revealed in June that a claim had been lodged over the site of North Sydney’s historic courthouse first constructed in 1989.
Parliamentary secretary to the NSW attorney-general Hugh McDermott confirmed the claim in a note, reported by North Sydney Sun.
“The merits of this claim must be determined before alternative uses of the site can be considered,” Mr McDermott said.
“The timeframe for resolution of this claim is currently unknown.”
The Minns government has made efforts to water down some of the laws with The Australian reporting in June that Mr Kamper was concerned at “technicalities” like an incorrectly written lease deciding claims.
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