NSW Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News. A bold-thinking landscape architect’s radical proposal to redevelop Byron Bay’s beachfront – which would see all car parks removed and replaced with grass and a new “world-class” aquatic centre – has been slammed.
Byron Mayor Sarah Ndiaye reckons the plan is simply not viable, but the architect – who once pitched a plan for an edible city – remains adamant it can be done. David Vago, of firm Habit8, pitched the proposal to Byron Shire Council as it considers the future of the foreshore and said “let’s un-pave paradise and pull down a parking lot”. His eccentric vision includes “greening over” the entirety of Byron Bay’s Main Beach foreshore, removing all car park spaces and implementing a new aquatic centre – complete with a 50 metre pool, gym, wedding function area, restaurant and cocktail bar.
Mr Vago has worked on significant NSW projects including the Cronulla Sharks redevelopment, Pacific Bondi Beach, the Brookfield Tower at Wynyard and large-scale housing projects for developers Mirvac, Charter Hall and Frasers Property. Landscape architect David Vago's plans to transform Byron Bay beachfront. Picture: Supplied / Habit8 Mr Vago said the Byron community was “torn over the vision of the foreshore area”.
He claimed there were rumours A-lister and Byron local Chris Hemsworth was enthusiastic about the project, along with the Hollywood star’s mate M.
