© (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)A general view of Bondi Beach
The man behind a proposed Italian-style beach club on Bondi beach says he is pushing forward with the controversial plan despite vigorous opposition from locals and politicians.
The founder of the proposed Amalfi Beach Club, Janek Gazecki, said media reports had misrepresented his plan when it first hit headlines in October last year, which described it as an "exclusive" or "private" club, targeting "high net worth" individuals such as doctors, surgeons and models.
He told Guardian Australia on Sunday the plan was no more controversial than "a restaurant on the sand" and preparation had already begun on the Italian and Mediterranean-inspired venue.
Gazecki, a former lawyer who lives in Bondi and previously organised urban polo events, said the venue would take up only "1.3%" of Bondi's average exposed sand and not "the whole beach".
Related: Plan to erect exclusive 'Euro chic' club on Bondi beach gets lukewarm reception
The club would have set seating for patrons, which would exclude other beachgoers from sitting there, but Gazecki said that anybody could enter the venue, regardless of their age or wealth, and it would not have a private members list.
"None of that stuff that hit the media was in any way related to our proposal," he said. "It was weird speculation. It is pure and simply a restaurant on the sand. It is not privatising the beach, we are leasing the beach. [Food event] Taste of Manly is occurring the next week or week after - that is not privatising the beach."
A draft development application, first revealed to the Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday and which has not yet been submitted to the local council, reveals a Mediterranean-inspired design. It would have a kitchen, a bar, a capacity of 100 people and run for four months from November to February.
Gazecki told Guardian Australia the club was designed to fit in with the existing Bondi Pavilion, which was "itself inspired by inter-war Italian architecture".
"We are building the facade now," he said. "We have purchased the shipping containers which will constitute the kitchen and the bar."
Gazecki said opponents of the idea may have been misled when it came to how large and exclusive the venue would be - and he compared it to a volleyball game.
"There is 55,000 square metres of beach. On any given day, sometimes there is a volleyball game on. You can't sit in that specific spot. Where a family or a group has laid out their things, you can't sit in that spot either. Because it is taken by a group of people."
Gazecki said his proposed club was "just an experience for those people who want to enjoy the beach in a particular way".
"If you don't like it, just sit on any other place of the 55,000 square metres of beach," he said. "They already have a cabana and day bed leasing service there, that has been there for a decade. You can hire deckchairs and umbrellas and lay them out there - all we just do is add an alcohol and food service."
He said there would no longer be an $80 fee to access the club. The fee, which was announced during Covid restrictions, was only necessary when restaurants needed to take deposits on bookings, Gazecki said. In future, entry would "not cost anything".
Waverley Council on Sunday confirmed it had not yet received a development application for the beach club proposal.
"Bondi Beach is crown land and therefore landowner's consent from the minister for planning and public spaces is required prior to any DA being determined," the council aid in a statement. "We will continue to keep the community informed of any updates."
The New South Wales planning minister, Rob Stokes, said on Sunday he remained opposed to the beach club.
"My previous views about this kind of proposal remain unchanged and I will step in to stop a proposal to carve off part of the beach for private use," the minister said in a statement.
"The NSW government has poured millions into programs to assist local businesses, especially hospitality, get back on their feet after the unprecedented impacts of the pandemic last year.
"Comparing a restaurant, one-off festival or the outdoor cinema at Centennial Park with this proposal is ridiculous. Our beaches are for everyone and should be free."
Former journalist Mike Carlton tweeted that the revamped proposal was still "an utterly, totally crap idea". "One of the great Australian traditions is that the beach is open and free to everyone," he said.
The Amalfi Beach Club website contains a frequently asked questions section responding to claims that it is "elitist" and "un-Australian".
"The project is by Australians for Australians, as well as overseas travellers once international borders open," it states. "Other than its name, which is clearly Italian, there is nothing un-Australian about the initiative."