Manly Life Saving Club to get $6m knock down and rebuild
A HOME fit for lifesavers on Australia’s best beach is finally a step closer, with Northern Beaches Council voting to take on a $6 million knock down and rebuild Manly Life Saving Club.
Manly
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A HOME fit for lifesavers on Australia’s best beach is finally a step closer, with Northern Beaches Council voting to take on a $6 million knock down and rebuild Manly Life Saving Club.
The push to build a new clubhouse at one of Australia’s most popular beach follows an article by the Manly Daily highlighting the current building’s shortcomings.
Manly ward councillor Candy Bingham had been campaigning for an upgrade and said the council would seek expressions of interest from architects and then undergo a design competition.
The 40-year-old club would be three storeys - one-storey higher than it currently is - which has previously been DA approved.
In July, the club’s president Chris Bell said it was “bursting at the seams” and in urgent need of an upgrade.
The club has a tiny training room and often uses the hall as a backup to help train lifesavers.
However, the hall is often hired out for other uses, leaving them with little option.
They have limited storage and are forced to leave many of the patrol boats and other equipment on nearby streets.
“When the existing club was built in 1981, there were only 70 female patrolling members, there are now 760,” Cr Bingham said.
“It is the largest club on the northern beaches, it is also used by the Bold and Beautiful swimmers and other community groups.”
One of the biggest issues is the toilet facilities at the club, which are also used by the 2.2 million-plus beachgoers each summer.
“Every day I get complaints about the public toilets there,” Cr Bingham said.
“They are over 40 years old and an absolute disgrace.
“They just can’t keep up with demand, sometimes there will be up to 400 swimmers in the morning they are just so antiquated.”
The council would hope to have a set of designs within six months.
Manly MP James Griffin has committed to find funding for the upgrade, which could coast as much as $6 million.
Funding options were given for a refurbishment, which would have costed about $4 million.
To maintain the building over a 10-year period would cost $2.6 million.
He took Sports Minister Stuart Ayres to the club for a tour in July in response to the Manly Daily’s campaign.
At that time, Mr Ayres said the clubhouse was not up to scratch.
“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist as you wonder around this facility to recognise that this old girl has probably seen better days,” he told the Manly Daily.
“It is an iconic club that is not in an iconic building and I think that is the missing gap here.”
In July, Mr Ayres said money was available — with $100 million allocated over three years for such projects through the Greater Sydney Sports Facilities Fund — but the council would have to also stump up some funds for the upgrade.
“I think for what I have seen here you are talking about a substantial investment,” he said.
“It would be co — contribution … so there is an obligation on the council (which owns the clubhouse) to do its job here and that is to make sure it plans the development of a facility it owns.
“But we recognise there is a role here for us to play.”
Mayor Michael Regan said Manly was already one of Australia’s most iconic beaches, and now it needed a life saving club befitting the spectacular location.
“Council is already progressing upgrades to Mona Vale SLSC and Long Reef SLSC thanks to funds made available under the Council merger and recent State Government grants.
“It is clear that the renewal of the Manly LSC building is the next highest priority, based on an assessment of all the life saving clubs under council’s care and control.
A report commissioned by council and presented at Tuesday’s meeting showed the state of the building was in “fair to poor” condition.
“If the current building is to be retained for future occupancy, remedial works would need to be carried out,” the report found.
Council officers have been meeting with club representatives to work through issues facing the current building and future needs.
“Council has asked staff to establish a community working group to work with council and the club,” Cr Regan said.
“It has also asked that provision be made in the 2019/20 budget to kick off the project design, and that a business case be brought back to Council,” Mayor Regan said.
Any project to rebuild this building would be subject to a robust community consultation process, involving three stages of engagement and the formation of a working group made up of key stakeholders and community members.
Manly Life Saving Club, located at the southern end of Manly Beach was established in 1903 and is one of the oldest surf clubs in Australia. The current building was constructed in 1982, with a deck extension added in 2013. A partial upgrade of member’s amenity areas on the ground floor was carried out in 2014.