A $35 million rebuild of a major Sunshine Coast surf club is expected to get underway in 2027.
A new-look Maroochy Surf Club, home of the Maroochydore Surf Life Saving Club, has been endorsed by the state government. Construction is set to take two years.
Club president Victoria Berry said the redevelopment would bolster volunteer numbers and keep beachgoers safe.
“This building will be a lasting legacy for our existing and future members who provide an amazing service to our community,” she said.
“Currently, our nippers are capped at 300 because there simply aren’t the facilities to cater for more. Our nippers are our future patrolling members: they are the future of our club.
“This redevelopment will also rejuvenate the Maroochydore foreshore, providing more shaded areas, seating and a café for the public to enjoy.”
The club stated that the redevelopment plan was endorsed by the state government, via the Ministerial Infrastructure Designations. The MID process provides an alternative to lodging a development application with the local council and is managed by the Department of Infrastructure with input from other government agencies.
The new surf club is set to include a bar, bistro and restaurant in the same footprint as the existing facilities with the addition of a new ground-level beachfront café.
Members should have an onsite gym, added equipment storage, dormitories and an improved first aid room.
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Ms Berry said volunteer surf lifesavers would continue to raise the red and yellow flags at Maroochydore beach during the demolition and rebuild phases.
She said the club would embark on grassroots fundraising programs to help offset the expected reduction in funding and trading during that time.
“We are expecting a couple of years of reduced funds and will be looking for sponsors to help us sustain our service levels.”
“This plan has been four years in the making and I’d like to express my gratitude to all the club members and volunteers who have helped make that happen.”
Life Governor Laurie Murphy, the club’s Building and Works Committee chairman, said the new facility would enable volunteers to continue protecting their community.
“Surf lifesaving is one of the true iconic Australian community services where people are prepared to risk their lives for people they don’t know,” he said.
“This new facility will give people who are volunteers a place where they can continue the service they’ve been doing since 1916.”
The redevelopment plans were first announced in 2023, before preliminary renders were presented. The new renders above show how it could look by the end of 2029.
