Emu Park Surf Lifesaving Club at risk of falling into Central Qld ocean

A deputy mayor has called on his council to “step up” to save the largest surf lifesaving club in Central Queensland from falling into the ocean.

Livingstone Shire councillors Pat Eastwood and Adam Belot talk with Emu Park Surf Lifesaving Club president Craig Beevers about works required. Photo Darryn Nufer.

The largest surf lifesaving club in Central Queensland is at risk of having its clubhouse swallowed up by the ocean.

Livingstone Shire Council documents reveal that ocean swells have destroyed the southern section of the historic sea wall adjacent to Emu Park Surf Lifesaving Club’s headquarters.

“If this infrastructure is not reinstated and strengthened then further erosion will potentially impact on their building asset,” council documents state,” the documents state.

“Understandably this type of infrastructure is very expensive and needs to be built to high engineering standards as the environment is very turbulent and destructive.”

According to the council documents, Emu Park Surf Lifesaving Club, which has more than 500 members, is “financially challenged” and has reached out to the local government for help.

The rock sea wall adjacent to Emu Park Surf Lifesaving Club. Photo: Livingstone Shire Council.

The issue was tabled at this week’s Livingstone Shire Council monthly meeting where Councillor Adam Belot pushed for the council to investigate funding options to help the club complete “critically needed” sea wall revetment works.

The meeting was told that Emu Park Main Beach was one of only two patrolled swimming beaches on the Capricorn Coast, with Emu Park Surf Lifesaving Club providing volunteer patrols to ensure public safety.

Mr Belot said the club had identified “a big challenge” with the failing sea wall.

“They (Emu Park Surf Lifesaving Club) have done a fair bit of work themselves - it’s a credit to the club for stepping up,” Mr Belot said.

“I believe now is the time though for council to also step up and shoulder this project, hopefully with support from (government) funding provided, that may well become available again in 2024 - the Queensland Disaster Resilience Fund, I believe it is.

“That (funding) opportunity may present again - it has presented in the past, unfortunately council wasn’t in a position back then to get involved in the project.”

From left: Livingstone Shire councillors Pat Eastwood and Adam Belot with Emu Park Surf Lifesaving Club captain Brittany Hooton and club president Craig Beevers (clubhouse in background). Photo: Darryn Nufer.

In supporting Cr Belot’s sentiments, Cr Pat Eastwood said the existing sea wall had been there since about 1940.

“But the wall that has actually subsided and collapsed is in very poor state of affair,” Cr Eastwood said.

“And talking about, I guess, a public asset, our public asset, the Surf Lifesaving Club’s public asset, you can see where the ground’s being undermined, and it’s actually falling into the sea.

“And if we’re coming into cyclone season, there’s a pretty good chance we’re going to have some fairly big swells, big tides - in fact it’s definite that will happen.

“And we’re not going to be able to do anything about it this year, but we should be able to do something about it in the very near future - if we don’t we’re going to have some major issues along that foreshore.”

Cr Eastwood said the sea wall revetment works needed to be done “bigger than Ben-Hur” which was something the club could not afford on its own.

“It’s got to be something that lasts the distance and it’s also in keeping with the wall that’s already there so that it maintains its visual amenity,” he said.

“So it’s really important councillors, we get behind this, because our surf lifesaving clubs bring a lot to our community.”

Emu Park Surf Lifesaving Club president Craig Beevers stands at a beach access ramp at the club's headquarters. Photo: Darryn Nufer.

Speaking to this publication, Emu Park Surf Lifesaving Club president Craig Beevers said fixing the sea wall was “critical”.

“We’ve got a brand new million dollar boat shed and you can see the condition of the foreshore here, how it’s falling away,” Mr Beevers said.

“So one of our biggest concerns is that on Nipper Sundays, and even for the general public who come down here, our lifeguards and volunteer patrol members are constantly doing first aid on people and having to climb up and down these walls to get on and off the beach.

“But not only that, we need to access the beach for patrols and stuff so that’s why we want something that doesn’t wash away.”

An aerial view of the Emu Park Surf Lifesaving Club clubhouse precinct. Courtesy: Livingstone Shire Council.

Mr Beevers said it was “absolutely” concerning that constant erosion could threaten the club’s building structures including its clubhouse.

“The last thing we want is to have that undermined,” he said.

“We’re a not-for-profit organisation - we just do not have the funding to be able to do it (fix the sea wall to the required standard).”

At this week’s council meeting, councillors voted unanimously for Livingstone Shire to investigate funding options for sea wall revetment works and also to provide a report with budget options.

Livingstone Mayor Andy Ireland said he wanted to invite representatives of the Emu Park Surf Lifesaving Club and Keppel MP Brittany Lauga to speak with the council about the issue.