Club President Update – Surf Club Extension Plans

In 2011 the surf club approached the Council and identified the issues with our limited club house and growing membership and suggested a process of community and member consultation that the Club would implement to gauge the views of our members and the local community, with a view to expanding the building and report back. The Council agreed.

In 2012 the Club presented the Council with a positioning paper that identified feedback from our members and the community and possible mass modelling options for the potential extension of the existing club facilities.  A preferred modelling option was subsequently agreed.

Based on this paper, in 2013 the Club engaged and funded an architect to prepare a master plan for the surf club (based on the preferred model) and its adjacent grounds to overcome agreed deficiencies with the building and critical pedestrian circulation issues in the public area adjacent the Club.

In 2014 the master plan was completed and a number of meetings were held with Council to determine a way forward in order that the surf club could then fund and prepare a development application in cooperation with the Council.

After many, many meetings with Council, at the last meeting held June 2017 (organised with the new Northern Beaches Council on our behalf by our State Member Rob Stokes) we now have a timeline for the commencement of pre Development Application community consultation on the masterplan that the Club developed in 2014.

The proposed works are to provide additional storage areas, improve accessibility and provide additional amenity and community space. You can view the masterplan here

Clearly this has been a long process, and there remains a longer process to see the project through to completion.  However, it is a step in a positive direction and I now need our members and Friends of Newport to voice their approval for the need to modestly expand the Club House facilities and associated works.
NEXT STEPS

•  Click here to add your feedback and approval to the plans featured on the Northern Beaches Council website. The “Your Say” section of the proposal will be open for feedback until 10 September 2017.
• Between 10am – 12pm on 26 August 2017, there will be also a community drop in session at the Club with Council staff to discuss the proposal
• Once all community and club member feedback has been received, the Council will then make a determination on whether we can proceed with formal Development Application