Club at a crossroads as locals have their say

Surf club issue is creating waves of comment in Peregian

CLUB SPIRIT: This 2012 montage was used for Peregian Beach Surf Life Saving Club open day to try and build local support. Picture: Contributed

A CROWD-funded community survey into the future of surf lifesaving and nippers at Peregian Beach has engaged more than 500 locals from across the township's catchment.

The Peregian Family & Friends Association has called on the professional skills of community engagement specialist Leisa Prowse Consulting and market researcher Market Facts to design and facilitate the first survey of its kind in the seaside locality.

The data collected will be analysed to help provide a clearer picture of what Peregian locals want in the way of a local surf club to stakeholders like community groups, to current service provider Noosa Heads Surf Life Saving Club and the Noosa Council.

One of the key points will be to see if the survey picks up support for the NHSLC's desire to move from the existing clubhouse site to slightly north and closer to the beach in a bid to make the service viable into the future.

This comes as a second group, Peregian Beach Surf Club, whose aim is to redevelop a club on its present site, released its vision of a club engaged in lifesaving as well as ecology, research and education.

The new-look clubhouse would include a whale watching platform and the PBSC members are keen for locals to embrace the design of Peregian architect Sharyn Kerrigan' for "a small-scale ocean-life saving club that may one day be adopted by surf clubs all around the country".

Both groups want to see surf lifesaving flourish, but PFFA believes their "unique community engagement process" should provide a defining guide.

PFFA spokesman Kane Livingstone said the Peregian Surf Club Community Survey followed four months of intense community consultation.

"We are thrilled at the level of engagement we have seen across all age group," he said. "This has been the first opportunity for all community members to contribute formally and meaningfully to the discussion about the surf club.

"The next steps are that the independent market research consultancy, the longest running in Queensland, will take all the data away and create a report which will give us an in-depth understanding of what the Peregian community believes is important.

"We don't know yet what the research will tell us, but we're excited that the community has finally had a chance to have their voice heard. We will share this with our members and other relevant stakeholder."

PBSC president Rob Neely said his group's vision for the building would be "ground-breaking, inclusive of the whole community and potentially a significant drawcard for tourists and marine researchers".

"The locally-formed Peregian Beach Surf Club is pioneering a movement to regain, reuse, recycle and reinvigorate the under-utilised club house building," he said.

"Noosa Council has recently made it clear it is firmly opposed to Noosa Surf Club's plans to replace the existing Peregian club building," he said. "The staged redevelopment of the existing building will include the Coast's first dedicated whale watching platform in a surf club."

Mr Neely said the new club would be happy to continue working with the Noosa Heads club.

PBSC will hold a community meeting on Saturday, June 23 at Peregian Beach Community House.