Onkaparinga Council approves Moana Surf Lifesaving Club’s proposed $3.8m rebuild despite questions
A $3.8m rebuild of a club at one of Adelaide’s most popular beaches has been approved – despite council staff warning it was fine for another 38 years.
A $3.8m rebuild of the Moana Surf Lifesaving Club has been approved by a council despite warnings the building still has “38 years of remaining useful life”.
The upgrade, proposed by Surf Life Saving SA and Moana Surf Lifesaving Club, will expand the club’s garage to fit more emergency services vehicles, upgrade the change-rooms and add an accessible change-room, along with a slew of minor changes.
Onkaparinga Council, which owns the building, is set to contribute $1.247m to the project – one third of the $3.78m price-tag – while $2.1m will be paid by taxpayers through the state’s emergency services fund and $416,000 by the club.
Council staff had warned the expansion “involves extensive demolition and reconstruction of serviceable spaces for minimal spatial gains”, despite the building being in a “satisfactory condition”.
On Tuesday night, councillors voted to accept the funding request, with funds for the project to be redirected from other new and significant upgrades in its 2026-27 budget.
The council voted against an option to borrow the $1.247m, which would have added to its whopping debt, already forecast to reach $135.9m by June 2026.
In a report, council staff had cautioneda significant portion of the budget was allocated to “demolishing and rebuilding existing rooms with minimal changes to their overall size”.
This included no change in size to the first aid room, a 2m2 increase to the meeting room, a 1m2 increase to the patrol room and a 1m2 increase to the office.
However, SLSSA chief executive Damien Marangon said the council report did not accurately represent “key improvements being planned”.
He said the patrol room would be relocated to a more appropriate position “to ensure emergency services are not compromised as they currently are”.
“The first aid room is currently part of a corridor, which is again not appropriate and needs to be a private room,” Mr Marangon said.
“Any reports that suggest there is minimal new space being added or the current building is satisfactory, are simply not true.
“We have only received very positive feedback from the council and councillors as to the proposed improvements.”
Council staff described the building as “in satisfactory condition with 38 years of remaining useful life”.
A report noted the proposal would enlarge the building’s present garage space, which was smaller than the recommended standard.
But staff added the club also used a storage shed at the Moana Beach Tourist Park, which brought its total storage space to above the recommended standard.
The state government’s $2.1m of funding was conditional on councillors approving Onkaparinga Council’s contribution.
The building was already upgraded in 2020, when its roof and airconditioning system was replaced at a cost of $290,000.
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Originally published as Onkaparinga Council approves Moana Surf Lifesaving Club’s proposed $3.8m rebuild despite questions
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