Following extreme coastal weather and natural erosion in April 2024, a cliff collapse occurred below Marks Park on the Bondi coastal walk, taking some of the walkway with it.

Geotechnical engineers have since inspected the site and determined the walkway cannot be reopened until cliff stabilisation works are undertaken and the walkway repaired.

Council are engaging specialist contractors to undertake this work which will take several months to complete, meaning the walkway will not be reopened until 2025.

We ask for the community’s patience as we undertake this dangerous and complicated work along a highly exposed and difficult to access area of our coastline.

How long will it take to repair the Coastal Walk?

Work is expected to take several months to safely complete, weather permitting.

The section of cliff line that has failed is in a difficult position to access. Repairs require work from above, on the cliff edge, and below on the exposed rock ledge. This will be dangerous to complete and weather will impact the construction teams ability to safely access the site.

Work will be done in two stages

Stage 1 - Cliff face stabilisation

Qualified remediation specialists will first stabilise two sections of the cliff face with rock anchors. Then engineers will need to inspect that the work is complete and it’s safe for contractors to begin repairs on the walkway. Engineers may discover other unstable areas as the work progresses, that require stabilisation, before we can safely progress and this may delay the next stage.

Stage 2 - Walkway reconstruction

Qualified contractors will access the site to salvage the heritage sandstone paving for reuse in the project and remove any broken balustrading. A new walkway platform will be built, new drainage installed and any damaged retaining walls repaired before new stainless steel balustrading is installed and sandstone paving reinstated.

Why do cliff faces fail?

Cliff collapses, also known as cliff failures, can occur when the internal strength of the cliff formation is reduced and it can no longer support its own weight. This is a natural coastal erosion process that occurs along our shorelines due to the natural impact of waves, wind, rain and tides.