The call to upgrade Newcastle's six surf lifesaving clubs has been bolstered by a Notice of Motion to be debated at this Tuesday's council meeting.
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Liberal councillor Jenny Barrie will introduce the motion which calls on council to explore funding options "to maximize the clubs' functionality, to provide a community service and to increase tourism visitation" and for a strategic plan for the clubhouses. The strategic plan would be informed by a coastal management plan that council currently has underway.
"The six surf clubs need to have the highest priority in the city infrastructure capital works budget in the future as they need urgent attention," Cr Barrie's motion said.
Cr Barrie told The Newcastle Herald that while the capital works budget was limited with plenty of worthy projects, there were 4000 members who use the six surf lifesaving clubs.
"Lifesaving is so important," she said. "It's an Australian tradition.
"We know there are grants we can be applying for, but there's no strategic plan and these clubs put in so much money to these facilities."
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Newcastle has some of the oldest surf lifesaving clubs in Australia, with Newcastle, Merewether, and Stockton formed in 1908 and Hunter Surf Life Saving established in 1918. The other three clubs are Cooks Hill at Bar Beach, Dixon Park and Nobbys.
The clubhouse buildings are all believed to be about 50 years old or more, with some dating back to 1930s.
Nobbys is the only club in the city with a lease. The other Hunter surf lifesaving clubs in outside council areas are all rented on peppercorn agreements or are close to being signed onto leases
Recently retired Hunter Surf Lifesaving CEO Rhonda Scruton said all of the six clubs except Dixon Park needed to be relocated due to erosion and other environmental factors.
Storage is also an issue in Newcastle with the clubs currently relying on an external facility to keep their equipment.
The Newcastle Independents made the matter an election issue, promising to replace all of the surf clubs in a $42 million plan if elected. Councillor John Church was the only candidate elected from the alliance, and his bid for mayor was unsuccessful.
Their program was backed by the Merewether and Newcastle clubs. Merewether Surf Life Saving Club chief training officer and education director Anthony Tietze said at the time the clubhouse was "outdated".
"We are careful to be apolitical, but anyone who's going to come along and offer us some support we're going to work with them," he said.
"The clubhouse has out-seen its design life. The roof leaks, it hasn't got the functionality that it needs to have for a modern-day structure, and very importantly it doesn't have disabled access to the first floor."
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