Surf club building decision to see new community club established

Council will offer Surf Lifesaving QLD Sunshine Coast Branch (SLSSC) a three-year trustee permit for the Peregian Beach Surf Club building, following the recent expression-of-interest (EOI) process.

Cr Joe Jurisevic welcomed SLSSC’s commitment to re-establish a community club by the end of the 2021/22 financial year.

“The building was home to Peregian Beach Surf Club until the club folded in 2014. In recent times Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) has been working with Noosa Heads Surf Life Saving Club to provide important lifesaving and nippers programs from the ground floor of the building,” Cr Jurisevic said.

“The Peregian Beach community has been very clear that it wants to see this facility used to its full potential. The best outcome would be an independent community surf lifesaving club. This decision paves way for that to occur.”

SLSQ Sunshine Coast Branch was one of two submitters to the recent EOI process, which Council called in March to breathe new life into the surf club building.

“Council saw merit in both proposals, but SLSQ’s commitment to establish an independent, financially sustainable, community-based volunteer club by the end of the 2021/22 season is the ideal outcome.”

Progressing their plan, and reporting on the progress, is a condition of the three-year trustee permit, approved by Council at its Ordinary Meeting on Thursday.

“The three-year permit provides the local community certainty that the building will again be a well-used community space, while allowing SLSQ time to lay the ground work.”

Cr Jurisevic said SLSQ was also willing to share the space with local community groups, as surf lifesaving operations allowed.

“We welcome this collaborative approach,” Cr Jurisevic said. “All in all the EOI process has delivered a great outcome for the community.”

A panel assessed the expressions of interest under the supervision of probity advisor Crowe Horwath.

22 July 2019