You're Wrong. Bundilla Park is Awesome.
About a decade ago, Darwin was in uproar.
Petitions were being sent to Parliamentarians.
Letters were furiously being penned to the NT News editor.
Dramatic declarations of “the end of Darwin as we know it” were being made.
And the Birkenstock-wearing NIMBY brigade were ‘up and about’ and leading community warfare.
So, what unimaginable horror triggered all this?
The Nightcliff Foreshore Café.
As a former journalist, I was a staunch defender of the project at the time, writing often about the confected outrage of some members of the community who seemed determined to see absolutely nothing built in Darwin ever again.
And I say ‘confected’, because frankly, I don’t think half of them truly believed what they were spouting.
Of course, that protest is long forgotten, and the Foreshore Cafe is now a much-loved local institution, packed most days and bursting at the seams on weekends.
And guess who goes there and enjoys the good coffee and views?
Those exact same protestors, that’s who!
Today, it’s another development in the firing line.
As we approach local council elections later this month, the transformation of Vestey’s Beach into Bundilla Park continues to stir up a familiar kind of shrieking from a vocal few.
And for reasons I still can’t quite understand.
I’ve lived in Darwin my whole life, and not once had I thought to take my kids to that forgotten patch of Fannie Bay.
In fact, I would avoid it.
The only thing I really knew about Vestey’s beach was that it was often littered with rubbish, attracted bad behaviour and was seen by most as un-utilised space.
But now?
The vibrancy Bundilla Park has brought to a previously rundown corner of the city is nothing short of brilliant.
It’s become a beautiful and active stretch of coastline in Darwin.
When we think about the kinds of investments that make a real difference in a city’s character, it’s often not the biggest infrastructure projects or headline-grabbing developments.
Sometimes, it’s the smart, community-led revitalisations that quietly transform how we live, connect and enjoy our cities.
And this is exactly what Bundilla Park is.
But you wouldn’t know it from all the complaining it took to get to this point.
From the whinging about the new sculpture (which, as someone from a Cyclone Tracy family, I happen to think looks great) to the absurd claims that we’re “losing green space” (newsflash: it’s still incredibly green), the NIMBY chorus has had a field day penning outrage.
And yet, look at what we now have.
Drive down there on any weekend and you will see families picnicking under new shelters, kids playing on the skate part, dogs running free in a thoughtfully designed fenced area, and people of all ages shooting hoops on the new basketball court.
It’s created a level of community connectivity and liveability that I have not seen in Darwin since the Waterfront was built.
Oh, and let’s not forget the outrage that came with that construction too.
But that’s a story for another time .. for now, I am off to the wavepool 😊
***
