Surf club 'on notice' by local group to state intentions

Peregian surf club debates on viability of site continues

WHAT'S THE PLAN: Peregian Beach Community Association president Barry Cotterell wants some surf club answers. Picture: Contributed

A PEREGIAN residents' lobby group wants the Noosa Heads Surf Life Saving Club to make its intentions about future local beach patrols clear.

Peregian Beach Community Association president Barry Cotterell said it would help the local community greatly if the club would make a decision well before July/August 2018 as to whether it will enter into another patrol service agreement with Noosa council.

The surf club moved to restore patrols at Peregian after the local surf club folded, and has since canvassed public support for moving the clubhouse closer to the beach for mostly safety reasons.

"Last year NHSLSC told Noosa council that it was considering four options for the club. It is now time for it to act responsibly and make a decision,” Mr Cotterell said.

"If NHSLSC decides it can and will continue to provide a volunteer lifesaving service and nipper program at PB, does it intend to: continue the use of the existing clubhouse, renovate the existing clubhouse, or demolish the existing clubhouse and build a new larger clubhouse on the skate bowl site with a view of the beach?

"If NHSLSC decides to withdraw, how does it propose to manage the transition to a locally run surf club? Or does it intend to hand the club house over to SLSQ (Surf Life Saving Queensland) to use it as a storage and training facility?”

Mr Cotterell said a timely announcement of its decision would give the community adequate time to arrange for alternative lifesaving services to continue at the beach.

He said if the Noosa Heads club's decision is to demolish the existing clubhouse and build a new larger structure on the skate bowl site, the community needs to know when will it apply to council for the necessary approval.

Noosa Heads SLSC president Ross Fisher said the club has "most certainly acted more than responsibly over the past few years with regard to volunteer surf lifesaving at Peregian Beach”.

"Contrary to what some people are openly stating to residents, the Noosa heads SLSC has never stated that it is walking away this year and ceasing volunteer surf patrols in Peregian... that is something we would not do,” Mr Fisher said.

"What we are doing is allowing as much time that is required for the residents to look to the future and jointly decide how and where they see surf lifesaving in Peregian for the next 50 years plus.

"The fact is that if the NHSLSC had not 'rescued' the Peregian SLSC, including financially, when it unfortunately folded, then volunteer surf lifesaving would have ceased back then.”

Mr Fisher said this "seems to go unnoticed by many commentators”.

"The four options to be considered for the future have been open and transparent since the NHSLSC's first community forums held in Peregian to allow residents to view, ask questions and answer a simple survey and have constantly been made more than clear since then,” he said.

"The result of this was at least 82 per cent of those who completed the survey were in favour of a volunteer surf lifesaving club remaining in Peregian for the future generations and would again include nippers.

Mr Fisher said the surf club decided to step back to allow wider consultation.