Bayside Council powers on with Dendy Beach Pavilion project

Bayside Council is refusing to back down from the Dendy Beach Pavilion project, despite major problems and costs blowing out to almost $10 million — and there’s still no start date in sight.

Bayside Council is pushing ahead with its Dendy Beach Pavilion redevelopment, shown here.

Bayside Council has refused to back away from the trouble-plagued Dendy Beach Pavilion project, despite costs blowing out by $2 million before work even begins.

The plan to rebuild and expand Brighton’s “asbestos riddled” lifesaving club has been on the table since 2012 but has suffered long delays since the start.

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The council has already forked out $1.6 million to prepare an approved Cultural Heritage Management Plan, legal fees, and deal with contaminated soil after asbestos was found by the EPA.

The CHMP was recently ticked off by Aboriginal Victoria after being knocked back twice by the State Government.

However construction cannot start until objections to the planning permit are heard by VCAT in the second half of this year.

The Dendy Street Beach Pavilion, home of the Brighton Life Saving Club, is long overdue for an upgrade. Picture: Chris Eastman

The total project cost has skyrocketed from $8 million in 2013 to almost $10 million now — and there is still no estimated start date.

Mayor Michael Heffernan said the council would not give up, and was not considering building a new club at another location.

“The slow progress of the new lifesaving club is particularly frustrating (but) the council is firmly committed to delivering a new pavilion for the lifesaving club and its members,” Cr Heffernan said.

“It is vital the club has the valuable resources and facilities they need to deliver its important community service to the benefit of the ever increasing number of visitors to this iconic beach.”

EPA Victoria ordered Bayside Council to clear asbestos from a foreshore area adjacent to the Dendy Street Beach at Brighton last year. Picture: Chris Eastman

Brighton Life Saving Club director Tim Bolton said they were keen to replace the more-than-60-year-old building, which was “in a very sad state of repair and no longer fit for purpose”.

He said the proposed building would accommodate the future operation and training needs of Brighton Life Saving Club, and replace the “appalling” public toilets.

“This is critical to maintain the ongoing community service that the Club provides to Bayside residents and visitors,” he said.

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The new pavilion will include an indoor and outdoor cafe, terracing, a training area, storage for the club’s equipment, drainage works, rain garden, carparking and landscaping changes.

But Bayside Ratepayers’ Group co-ordinator George Reynolds previously said the council should scrap the grand plans and focus on fixing the lifesaving club.

“It’s just another example of councils doing things they aren’t entitled to,” he said last year. “You look at the plan, it’s grand, it’s exotic … (but the) council should … go back to basics and just repair the lifesaving club and nothing more.”