Clubhouse redevelopment questions and answers
Anglesea SLSC's clubhouse redevelopment is a one in fifty year opportunity to improve our ability to maintain beach safety and support a strong, vibrant and healthy membership and community.
Following achievement of a key milestone in the redevelopment process, we have prepared answers to a number of common questions regarding the project. These include:
Why do we need the redevelopment?
What is the scope?
What say do members get?
What say does the community have?
Will the community have access to the facilities?
What has happened so far and why has it taken so long?
What are the next steps?
How is it being paid for?
What impact will there be during the redevelopment?
What about traffic and road safety?
Can we get more car parking?
What impact will there be on important native vegetation?
What environmental considerations are there in the redevelopment?
How can I get more information?
Why do we need the redevelopment?
The reasons for seeking to redevelop the lower (older) part of the existing clubhouse are twofold:
The existing building which is close to 60 years old fails to comply with current occupational health and safety standards and community expectations for the operational and training base for Victoria’s largest surf life saving club. An LSV building audit several years ago estimated close to $1 million would be required to bring the facility to an acceptable standard.; and
The club has simply outgrown the existing facility.
ASLSC currently has around 2000 members and the current facilities cannot support this level of membership. It is acknowledged that facility usage varies significantly throughout the year; peaking in December and January with a lower level of use throughout the winter months. However the club does make continuous use of the facility throughout the year with activities such as club training, social events and equipment upgrading and repair. This is in addition to wider community use of the facility.
Over the past 15 years the very basis of surf lifesaving has changed with a much greater emphasis on education and training. ASLSC’s Strategic Plan 2015-2020 notes that the club’s purpose is to “To provide a safe aquatic environment in the Anglesea region by providing best practice lifesaving and first aid services to the community, to also promote aquatic health and safety whilst encouraging all members to realise their potential in surf lifesaving and surf sport.”
This change in emphasis is reflected in both the senior training activities and the Nipper program. Whereas once Anglesea ran an annual Bronze Medallion camp for 20 to 25 candidates, today the camp caters for up to 200 participants. Current facilities cannot support this number as much of the training is “classroom” based and as a consequence the club is forced to erect a number of large tents to provide the necessary room. Likewise the Nipper program, which has grown from around 200 participants to between 500 and 600 over the past 15 years has a much higher educative content than 15 to 20 years ago also requiring facilities off the beach.
This in turn provides an excellent opportunity to redevelop the facility to the benefit of not only ASLSC but also to the broader community.
What is the scope?
The existing lower clubhouse building contains:
The clubs administrative office;
The patrol and training office
First aid room which provides no privacy
A “general purpose area” used for meetings, training, member requalification.
Patrol equipment storage
General storage areas
Male and female toilets and change rooms;
A ventilated fuel store.
The redevelopment, which will be within the footprint of the existing building, will replace these facilities and more effectively link the lower and upper clubhouse buildings and will provide:
More accessible and appropriate first aid facilities and easier ambulance access;
Separation of the training and operational areas with appropriate storage areas;
Administrative offices to support ongoing activities;
Flexible training facilities on the upper level that will cater for current and future lifesaving training requirements.
The facility is being designed with flexibility in mind so that in the off-season the club has the opportunity to encourage wider use by community and corporate organisations, the latter providing an increased income stream to the club and potentially other Anglesea service providers.
What say do members get?
Members have had the opportunity to be involved throughout the process. At the outset all members were invited to participate in a survey in 2011 seeking input to a “Needs Survey”. Some 14% of members responded. Over the past 5 years there have been a number of “display days” at the club where members were invited to inspect plans and provide comment. In addition there have been frequent updates in the club newsletter.
The club will continue to keep members informed of progress and feedback is welcomed at all times.
What say does the community have?
The proposed redevelopment was discussed in the local newspapers on a number of occasions over the past several years and the club was advised to undertake its community consultation as part of the formal planning process. As part of that process the proposal was formally advertised by Surf Coast Shire and thirteen objections were submitted. A meeting was held with the Shire, DEWLP, objectors and the club in November 2015 and as a consequence the club agreed to undertake additional consultation and to review aspects of the design.
An invitation to attend a consultation session at the club was included with the annual doorknock letter that goes to every house in Anglesea. There was only a limited response to this invitation and a second session, held on Easter Saturday, was advertised in the Surf Coast Times. Both these sessions confirmed the concerns of a limited number of local residents.
These concerns, together with issues raised within the club, have been being addressed.
Will the community have access to the facilities?
Yes, the club is a community facility and is, and will continue to be, available for community use at discounted rates when not required for lifesaving purposes.
Surfcoast Shires recent “Surfclubs of the Future” project identified the need for greater community use of facilities on crown land. ASLSC strongly supports this position and can point to widespread community use of its facilities over the past 20 years for social, educational and professional activities. In the period 2001 – 2015 there were:
Over 200 school camps utilising the facilities
Approximately 50 meetings held by groups such as GORCC, Parks Victoria, Surfcoast Shire, Red Cross and local MP’s
A number of graduation nights held by Anglesea Primary School
Music camps by the Sweethearts of Swing
Anglesea Probus held their monthly meetings here for 6 years.
The vast majority of this community usage has been at little or low cost (generally only recouping cleaning costs) and it is the view of ASLSC that redevelopment will provide an excellent basis for expanding this community use as well as providing much needed club facilities.
What has happened so far and why has it taken so long?
Preliminary work on this project commenced several years ago when it became obvious that the existing Lower Clubhouse building was suffering from some structural defects and was not compliant with contemporary requirements
An early issue was the need to obtain a revised lease before the relevant government department would consider any application for a redevelopment. The lease that existed at the time was out of date and LSV had been negotiating with the relevant government department for over 10 years with little success. The club took the decision to negotiate a new lease under the Crown Land (Reserves) Act, 1978 with the Great Ocean Road Coastal Committee (GORCC). Extensive work was then undertaken in conjunction with the GORCC to agree the terms of a new lease. This took some 18 months but resulted in a lease that is now being used as a template for other coastal clubs.
Architect’s drawings were initially prepared several years ago and exhibited at the club with members invited to provide comment. Preliminary discussions were held with the relevant authorities (Department of Environment, Water, Land and Planning (DEWLP); Surf Coast Shire and GORCC) to establish the range of supporting information required with our applications for Coastal Consent (with DEWLP) and Planning Approval (with SCS). A consultant Planning Advisor was engaged to assist this process.
A range of studies were then commissioned covering areas such as Aboriginal Heritage, Coastal Vulnerability, Geotechnical and Traffic Management.
The Coastal Consent and Planning Permit applications were submitted in early 2015 but unfortunately there were delays and mistakes by other parties in advertising these applications. This effectively delayed the process by some 6 months and also resulted in a number of objections that were wrong in fact. There were objections to loss of car parking and loss of native vegetation, neither of these will occur.
In November 2015 SCS organised a meeting with objectors (there were 13 objections in total) and club representatives. The local ward councillors and a representative of DEWLP also attended. As a result of feedback at that meeting the club agreed to undertake additional community consultation and to review aspects of the design.
An invitation to attend a consultation session at the club was included with the annual doorknock letter that goes to every house in Anglesea. There was only a limited response to this invitation and a second session, held on Easter Saturday, was advertised in the Surf Coast Times.
Both these sessions confirmed the concerns of a limited number of local residents.
These concerns, together with issues raised within the club, were addressed with the building plans being revised accordingly.
An application for Coastal Management Consent was resubmitted in late November 2016 and the signed consent was received in February 2017
What are the next steps?
Following receipt of Coastal Management Consent a revised application for Planning Approval was submitted to Surf Coast Shire in March 2017. We would expect that process to take up to 6 months. At that stage detailed design drawings will be commissioned – there is little to be gained doing this prior to receiving planning approval - and at that point the club will go to tender for a main building contractor.
At this time we would expect construction to commence in early 2018. Construction is likely to take around 18 months so at a minimum one season will suffer significant disruption and the club is currently planning how best to minimise the impact of this on patrols, training and nippers.
How is it being paid for?
An initial Quantity Surveyor estimate of the project cost was $3.5 million excluding professional fees and fit out and the club is budgeting $5 million for the project plus GST (prior to ‘in kind’/materials contributions)
The club has recently received a state government grant of $1.5 million toward the cost of the project. These funds will be administered through Life Saving Victoria’s Facility Development Program.
Approximately $1 million in pledges have been received to date from Cornerstone Donors
We anticipate up to a further $1 million from other key donors and an additional $500,000 from general targeted fundraising. The club has the financial capacity to borrow around $750,000 and we are seeking around $250,000 from various grants and in-kind support.
What impact will there be during the redevelopment?
It is proposed that the redevelopment would commence in the first quarter of 2018 with an anticipated redevelopment period of 18 months.
During this period, which would include one lifesaving season, access to the beach via the ramp would not be significantly impeded although the lower car park would be required as the construction base.
The club is currently developing plans for this period but it is not expected that any major disruption to life saving activities or programs such as Nippers would happen although the scale may be amended for one season.
Construction activities would be minimised or possibly halted during the main holiday period so as to minimise community impact.
What about traffic and road safety?
At VicRoads request a Traffic Impact Study was commissioned and the findings pointed to issues that are outside the club’s control. We all agree that the entrance from the GOR could be better but there is little likelihood of gaining additional land to facilitate this. VicRoads have also indicated that any improvements to the Harvey St, Murray St, GOR intersection are not likely in the foreseeable future.
The club has also written to VicRoads seeking improvement to pedestrian access to the club across the GOR during peak times. VicRoads have indicated there is no interest in an underpass and did not support the club’s suggestion of temporary pedestrian lights during the peak period. VicRoads have however agreed to install a pedestrian refuge crossing and te club is making a contribution toward the cost of this.
Can we get more car parking?
In a word, no. More space will not be granted by the land managers. The redevelopment will provide additional storage space so some parking that is currently taken up by club equipment will be freed up.
Under the terms of our lease the club is obligated to seal the upper car park and GORCC to seal the lower car park at some point in the future.
What impact will there be on important native vegetation?
None. The only vegetation to be impacted by the project will be the two trees currently outside the board shed.
What environmental considerations are there in the redevelopment?
Anglesea SLSC is committed to minimising its environmental footprint and can point to a number of initiatives already in place. These include:
Separation of waste and recycling wherever possible;
Installation of water tanks to store rainwater which is used for washing down, toilets flushing and landscape watering;
Installation of solar heating for hot water and installation of solar panels to reduce our carbon footprint.
The construction of a new building and modifications to the existing building provides an opportunity for the environmentally sustainable development (ESD) initiatives above to be retained and developed, together with the introduction of additional ESD initiatives to the items above into the new building, including;
Wall, floor and roof insulation to new building, together with thermally design glazing and window frames to reduce energy movement in the glass and frame
North facing windows properly sealed from the weather and shaded from the sun, and designed to open for natural ventilation when weather conditions allow
Screening to east facing windows and minimal windows to the west to reduce heat gain
Maintenance free and low maintenance building materials and safe access design to reduce painting, cleaning and maintenance costs and hazards associated with the building
Lights, power, air conditioning and other services to be controlled to minimise power use in quite times or when good weather conditions allow reduced lighting and AC
Specific wash down areas with interceptor traps to clean stormwater and to collect sand before going into the stormwater system
Specific waste materials area, sealed and securely fenced with segregated bins for types of waste and wash down facilities to manage waste, encourage recycling and minimise waste going to landfill
Bicycle facilities, good access to pedestrian paths, and additional surfboard and ski storage will be provided to encourage transport other than motor vehicles to the club
A lift will be provided for disabled access, but stairs shall be designed to encourage their use and reduce power use for the lift
How can I get more information?
Keep up to date by accessing this website from time to time and if you have specific questions send then to redevelopment@angleseaslsc.org.au and they will be passed onto the appropriate person for a response.
