Members may be aware that the Northern Beaches Council has just finalised its community consultation on our Clubhouse’s masterplan. Some 342 individual submissions were received and over 200 people participating in the Council’s community engagement days at the Club.
We are very pleased that our building renovation project is now underway, but there is still a long way to go. Along with our dialogue with Council, heritage architects and engineers, we have spent the last 3 years obtaining feedback from our members and other key stakeholders about our Clubhouse.
If there is a common theme to our discussions, it is that our Clubhouse is in a significant state of disrepair and it needs urgent attention. Therefore, everyone tells us to hurry up! We are trying to do just that.
Since 1907, North Steyne Surf Life Saving Club has provided essential lifesaving services through a team of committed volunteers. We were the first surf life saving club on the Northern Beaches, and are the second oldest surf club in Australia. Our traditions are strong, and our lifesaving expertise is second to none.
Our Clubhouse is an iconic landmark in Manly which opened in 1934, with the last major renovations taking place in the 1960s. A lot has changed since that time and we are greatly challenged by our current facilities given the growth of our membership base (in both numbers and diversity), compliance and safety requirements, state of repair and operational needs of a modern lifesaving organisation.
We need a Clubhouse which enables us to engage and service the community whilst continuing the cultural legacy of surf lifesaving on Manly Beach.
The Club’s vision is to revitalise the existing Clubhouse to:
- Create a fit for purpose, modern surf lifesaving club and community facility;
- Ensure access for all abilities to drive diversity, inclusion and community spirit;
- Respect the heritage aspect of the building and natural surroundings so it continues to be a key landmark;
- Allow for health and fitness to be a key functional element;
- Accommodate into the future our growing membership and range of Club activities;
- Support the Club’s long term financial sustainability by creating opportunities for revenue generation;
- Enable better community access whilst creating special spaces for members;
- Showcase the Club’s history, long lifesaving tradition and protect valuable artifacts;
- Be environmentally friendly and look at ways to reduce our impact through reduced water usage, solar energy and using building materials that promote sustainability;
- Ensure our members and all visitors to the Clubhouse are safe, and design elements consider ergonomics, health risks and avoidance of injury, particularly related to operational aspects of lifesaving;
- Be resilient and withstand the impacts of sea level change, storms and other coastal hazards.
We will continue to work with the Northern Beach Council to progress our building project and will keep you informed. Members are welcome to continue to provide their feedback to [email protected].