An Australian-first memorial precinct recognising three vital groups could be built by Anzac Day next year.
Moves are being made to build a shared remembrance space to honour the military, police and surf lifesavers at Buddina.
The state government has allocated more than $43,000, via its Honouring our Veterans Grants Program, to progress the project.
Kawana Waters RSL Sub-Branch president Jeff Pidgeon said the site would be the first of its kind in the country.
“The concept of the memorial will provide an opportunity to facilitate commemoration services into the future, also providing a precinct for reflection by veterans’ families and the community,” he said.
“The three memorials will have a common theme, ‘Honouring their Service and Sacrifice’.”
“It will be unique in Australia, in that these three groups will be recognised at one location, (with) three individual memorials.”
The proposed precinct would be in the park immediately to the south of the Kawana Surf Club, and the Anzac memorial would replace the one immediately to the north of the club, which has been used for decades.
When completed, it is expected to be able to cater for 6000 people.
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Mr Pidgeon said the precinct could be built by April next year, but the project is dependent on the availability of funding, which he estimated to be about $2 million, and building approval.
The sub-branch, formed in 1983, held its first Anzac memorial service at the Kawana Bowls Club in 1984 before shifting to the Kawana Surf Club in 1985. The existing memorial was built in 1987, and about 800 people attended the first service at it.
“(But) over time the commemoration service has grown, to where crowds of between 4000 and 6000 now regularly attend the dawn service and between 3000 and 4000 attend the main service,” Mr Pidgeon said.
“The congregation of people, depending on circumstances, overflows through the parkland in front of the surf club to the adjacent park south of the club.”
He said the planned memorial precinct could accommodate many more people and it would be a fitting precinct to honour the military, police and surf lifesavers.
“Discussions were held with Kawana Surf Club and members of the Queensland Police Service (about) a desire to incorporate a memorial to police officers killed in the line of duty and also to life savers who had also lost their lives performing their service to the community,” he said.
“The Queensland Police Service (currently) holds an annual service on the grassed area between the beach and surf club, using a hastily constructed temporary memorial area.
“During discussions, it was decided that, in redeveloping our cenotaph, it may be prudent to construct a precinct unique in existence, with three distinct memorials, including an RSL cenotaph, a police memorial and a surf lifesaving memorial, to honour the fallen of these three groups of our community.
“The (federal) grant will be used to facilitate the detailed design phase, up to presentation to council for building approval.”
Member for Kawana Jarrod Bleijie said the sub-branch was “a vital part of our community”.
“The Crisafulli Government is delivering more support than ever to ensure the memory of Queensland’s veterans are honoured and remembered for generations to come, investing $6 million in the Honouring Our Veterans Grants program over four years.”
Mr Pidgeon added that the sub-branch “provides a vital service of welfare for veterans and their families through advocacy, support programs and social interaction between not only veterans but also veterans and the community.”
