Bondi Icebergs, the celebrated ocean pool and licensed club at the southern end of Sydney’s Bondi Beach, is the subject of an Aboriginal land claim lodged by the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council.
The council said the claim was submitted in 2009 and remains unresolved while it awaits a decision from Stephen Kamper, New South Wales’ Minister for Lands and Property.
In a statement read on 2GB breakfast radio, the organisation said it was prepared to work with Bondi Icebergs while the claim was assessed.
“We remain willing to work constructively with Bondi Icebergs while the claim is being assessed,” the statement said.
The venue, which operates throughout the year, is widely recognised as one of Sydney’s best-known landmarks. Its pool and waterfront club have attracted international visitors and celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, Mick Jagger, Mariah Carey, Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian.
The dispute centres on the fact that the site sits on Crown land owned by the New South Wales Government. Under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983, Aboriginal land councils can claim Crown land if it meets the statutory definition of “claimable Crown lands”.
That does not mean the council will automatically take ownership. Officials must determine whether the land was lawfully used or occupied when the claim was lodged, whether it is required for an essential public purpose and whether any other statutory exemption applies.
If the land is found to be claimable, it may ultimately be transferred to the Aboriginal Land Council as freehold land. The NSW Government says its Crown Lands department is responsible for assessing claims and facilitating the return of eligible land. ([crownland.nsw.gov.au](https://www.crownland.nsw.gov.au/about-crown-lands/aboriginal-land-rights-and-native-title/aboriginal-land-claim-process?utm_source=openai))
Calls for reform of Aboriginal land claims system
The Bondi application has prompted calls for the state government to change the system, amid claims that more than 44,000 Aboriginal land claims remain undetermined across New South Wales.
That figure was cited by the NSW Aboriginal Land Council in January, when it said the state had received its 60,000th claim since the land rights legislation came into force. The organisation said claims were accumulating faster than they were being resolved. ([alc.org.au](https://alc.org.au/newsroom/media-releases/nswalc-lodges-60000th-aboriginal-land-claim-as-decades-of-delay-continue/?utm_source=openai))
Ben Fordham, the 2GB host, urged Mr Kamper to address what he described as a “shocking” backlog and consider legislation to protect prominent public sites from claims.
“Now we need to remember this is one of Sydney’s most iconic sites,” he said, arguing that a technical breach by a tenant could potentially affect whether land was considered claimable.
Fordham also claimed that surf clubs across Sydney’s eastern suburbs were subject to land claims, and said the government needed to bring order to the process.
His comments follow a significant High Court ruling involving the same La Perouse council and the former Paddington Bowling Club site. On 3 September 2025, the court found that Crown land was not necessarily “lawfully used” merely because it was covered by a lease; the activities actually taking place on the land were relevant to the assessment. ([hcourt.gov.au](https://www.hcourt.gov.au/cases-and-judgments/judgments/judgments-1998-current/la-perouse-local-aboriginal-land-council-v-quarry-street-pty-ltd?utm_source=openai))
The ruling does not determine the Bondi Icebergs claim, which must still be assessed on its own facts.
The La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council and Bondi Icebergs have been approached for comment.
