Woolgoolga Diggers Club: Wyong Leagues Group drives changes
They’ve already spent a bucketload, and are ready to invest $3 million more modernising Woolgoolga Diggers. See what’s proposed.
Coffs Harbour
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An expanded lounge area, more carparks and a new place to gamble under the stars are the highlights of a proposed multimillion-dollar project at Woolgoolga Diggers Club.
The planned works are being driven by the club’s parent, the powerful Wyong Leagues Group, who took over Diggers in October and also run the renamed and nearby Safety Beach Golf Club.
The cost of the alterations and additions at Diggers is put at $2.94 million, and the plans are before consent authority Coffs Harbour City Council.
A signature of the project will be a new, expansive alfresco gaming area, which will include a dedicated members’ VIP entrance.
The proposal would see the existing gaming area become part of a larger lounge area, and the addition of 10 carparks, plus the upgrade of an existing parking area.
The Wyong Leagues Group has already undertaken significant works at Diggers, as marketing manager Keith Cameron said the club was “in a bit of disrepair”.
“Several significant improvements were identified that required immediate attention, not the least of which was replacing the whole roof of the building,” Mr Cameron said.
“One of the more important and dramatic improvements for members and guests was the inclusion of The Beach St Restaurant which formed a crucial part of the multimillion-dollar redevelopment.”
The initial changes had been well received by the community, he said, with membership numbers soaring in the past 10 months.
Venue manager Glenn Buckley said the new restaurant, which offers Malaysian and traditional fare, had proven a hit.
“Our Beach Street Restaurant can now lay claim to be one of the premier dining experiences in the area,” Mr Buckley said.
“The bistro has been a real boon for us since our renovation and it has driven a great upsurge in membership which has nearly doubled since we started our renovation.”
The latest round of proposed works at the club include:
* Altering and undertaking additions to the existing dining terrace to provide an alfresco gaming area and re-roofing the modified area
* Altering the existing alfresco gaming area to become part of the general lounge area
* Formalisation of existing carparking in the north east section of the site, and;
* Construction of 10 additional carparking bays in the north west corner of site.
In documents lodged with council, it’s said the proposed works would not require any native vegetation clearing, and the project was located approximately 585 metres from the mean high water mark.
Further, the planned changes to the club would not adversely impact existing public open space and safe access to and along the foreshore, beach, headland or rock platform for the public.
Mr Cameron said Wyong Leagues Group had assets mostly on the Central Coast, but saw value in individual clubs showcasing their particular local area.
“We allow them to stand on their own two feet,” Mr Cameron said.
While “economies of scale” meant some similarities from one club to the next, he said the new restaurant at Diggers was distinctive.
“With an interior design that has taken its inspiration from local landmarks such as Red Rock and The Buster wreck on Woopi beach, the restaurant provides an elegant casual environment,” he said.
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