Kurrawa SLSC revamp: Lifesaving stalwart Terry Jackman lashes out at $15 million ‘edifice’

ONE of the Gold Coast’s leading tourism and surf lifesaving figures is furious over the $15m Kurrawa SLSC redevelopment, saying it threatens to take the movement in an “alarming direction”.

LIFESAVING stalwart and tourism and entertainment bigwig Terry Jackman fears a race is developing between surf clubs to build their own “Sydney Opera Houses”, which threatens to take the movement in an alarming direction.

In a fiery attack on the size and cost of the new Kurrawa clubhouse at Broadbeach, Mr Jackman — who is Northcliffe and Mermaid clubs patron and the former Queensland Tourism boss — warned surf lifesaving clubs against being swept into a competition to build huge buildings like Kurrawa.

And he asked why some of the money used on such edifices could not be channelled into helping small, struggling clubs.

Terry Jackman. Photo: Kit Wise

The popular Kurrawa club has opened its new $15 million development in a public park at Broadbeach, just metres from where its old clubhouse was demolished.

“I think it’s a very dangerous trend. I hope that surf clubs don’t think that they have to build a Sydney Opera House,” Mr Jackman said.

“I don’t understand. If Kurrawa have that much money to spend, why not spend it on another surf club that needs help?

“What are they doing? They built a $15 million edifice, for what? To be the biggest restaurant in Broadbeach? Is that what surf lifesaving is about?”

The new Kurrawa Surf Club at Broadbeach. Picture: Jerad Williams

LOCALS LAUNCH LEGAL ACTION OVER KURRAWA SLSC UPGRADE

But Broadbeach councillor Paul Taylor, who was president of the Kurrawa SLSC supporters club for almost two decades before entering local government, hit back in defence.

Cr Taylor said clubs were within their rights to keep the proceeds of the hard work in raising money with hospitality, pokies and raffles.

In a scathing criticism, Mr Jackman said:

* He feared surf lifesaving clubs were losing their focus on beach safety and youth development.

* It was a “dangerous trend” for surf clubs to compete against each other to build the biggest clubhouse.

* The millions of dollars used to build clubhouses could be better directed to saving lives and spread between all surf clubs.

The old Kurrawa Surf Club being demolished. Photo by Richard Gosling.

FIRST SOD TURNED IN KURRAWA REVAMP

Kurrawa is still hailed by its members and others in the lifesaving community as the spiritual home of The Aussies — the national championships that were held at Kurrawa but relocated after the deaths of three young competitors, in 1996, 2010 and 2012.

One of the Gold Coast’s smallest clubs, Pacific SLSC, won last year’s Australian Surf Life Saving Club of the Year. Without bars or pokie machines, Pacific SLSC beat clubs with headquarters worth tens of millions of dollars.

In 2015, one of the Gold Coast’s “mid-sized” clubs, Mermaid AEME SLSC, won the same award.

Cr Paul Taylor is a life member at Kurrawa SLSC. Picture: Scott Fletcher.

Responding to Mr Jackman’s criticisms, Cr Taylor said Kurrawa was able to build a state-of-the-art club because volunteers had worked hard for decades under good management.

“We did make money, we made a lot of money because of where we are, and I’m saying this because it’s one of my own observations: we are the most financial club in Australia,” Cr Taylor said.

FLASHBACK: FIRST REPORT OF KURRAWA SLSC UPGRADE

“When we put the board together all those years ago it was put together by great business people and lifesavers who had all done their time on the beach, every one of them.”

He said the club should not have to share the profits between other clubs.

“When you’re talking about (funding from) the State Government it’s a yes, but when it comes to a club which has members who have striven to make money to build their own club up, the answer is no — none of these members get paid, they’re all volunteers,” Cr Taylor said.

Inside the new Kurrawa Surf Club at Broadbeach. Picture: Jerad Williams

But he said Kurrawa had helped struggling clubs across Queensland.

“Kurrawa has helped Palm Cove SLSC, and Rainbow Beach SLSC which is north of Noosa, when they were in financial difficulty a number of years ago,” he said.

“We sent our management team in there and got them out of trouble.

“They’re now one of the most successful clubs on the north coast.

“Over there years we’ve put in quite a bit to help out other clubs.”

Cr Taylor said clubs like neighbouring Broadbeach SLSC were happy not to have bars or pokies, but most clubs wanted to expand.

The new basement storage area. Picture: Jerad Williams

“There are a lot of other surf clubs who would love to expand, (but) they probably don’t have the population to come to their restaurants so they can’t make their money,” he said.

“We’re fortunate at Broadbeach because (the area) sucks everyone down like a funnel.”

High ranking members from smaller Gold Coast clubs said having a large surf club did not guarantee lifesaving success.

“At the end of the day it’s about creating an atmosphere for young people, to get them off the streets and to get them involved in something healthy and giving back to the community,” said a club boss who did not want to be named.

The new Kurrawa Surf Club has proven popular. Picture: Jerad Williams

“I don’t buy into the competition, you can be the biggest surf club and still not be good at surf sport — it depends on what you want out of the surf life saving club.

“Bigger is not always better but having said that, the guys at Kurrawa have been very good at supporting other clubs.”

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