The long-anticipated rebuild of the Long Reef Surf Life Saving Club and community facilities officially opened on the weekend. The new SLSC comprises three buildings on a similar footprint to the previous club and is built around a central landscaped courtyard.
The two-storey surf club is fitted out with a gym, first-aid room, training rooms, function space and surf club storage. There is also a separate public amenities block, a café and community storage lockers (including for Northern Beaches Council Lifeguards and for the local Board Riders Club).
“Long Reef is a rare jewel on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, a sanctuary for native flora and fauna and the people who come from near and far to escape the suburban sprawl and reconnect with nature,” Northern Beaches Mayor Michael Regan said.
Regan said Council has worked extensively with the Surf Life Saving Club and the Stakeholders’ Working Group to develop a purpose-built facility to balance the needs of those who will utilise the facility.
“This facility will provide a welcoming centre of activity for the broader beach-loving community, and a long-term base for future generations of volunteer surf lifesavers to share their skills, conduct vital patrols and provide a safe beach environment for everyone to enjoy,” he said.
“It’s modern and functional whilst being sympathetic to the spectacular location in which it sits, right by Long Reef beach.”
Peter Kinsey, President of Long Reef Surf Life Saving Club said the new site will not only help support the club but enable it to continue to protect the community on the beach and provide its 1000 members with a new family-friendly facility that they along with locals and visitors can enjoy.
“I said when the fences went up that I was sad to see the old buildings go, but it was well and truly past its use-by date. This new site is both spectacular and functional,” Mr Kinsey said. “I am so glad I could be here to witness its completion after being part of the club for more than 60 years. It’s a real special feeling.”
The build utilises natural materials such as sustainably sourced timber, is environmentally sympathetic with water-saving fixtures and fittings, some PV power generation, LED lighting on automated controls, drought-tolerant planting, green roofs and permeable paving.
Local artist Leesa Knights was selected to design a two-dimensional artwork that integrates into tiered concrete seating adjacent to the building.
The $9.5 million project was made possible with funding from local, state, and federal governments and fundraising by Long Reef Surf Life Saving Club.
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