By Margaret Maccoll
Peregian Beach Surf Club director Brett Leckie knows better than anyone why the surf club needs to change to become a viable business to support a life-saving service at Peregian.
Having been president of the club for six years before it closed and having had the unenviable task of shutting it down, he understands why it failed.
Brett said a mixture of debts and an inability to compete against the restaurants and cafes in the village meant the surf club business became unsustainable.
He said the lack of day trading was a major downfall for the club.
“If people want to go to a surf club, they’ll go to Sunshine, Coolum or Noosa where they can see the ocean,” he said.
“The day trade at Peregian was non-existent. Surf Life Saving came in and advised us to close down.”
On Tuesday, Wide Bay MP Llew O’Brien and Noosa Surf Club officials gathered to officially open the Peregian club’s upgraded premises.
Mr O’Brien said the Sunshine Coast economy relied on beaches kept safe by the lifesavers to bring in tourism.
Noosa Surf Club president Ross Fisher said with the help of a Federal Government grant the Peregian club had been able to renovate the kitchen and bathrooms and repair degraded areas to make it usable for lifesavers.
“We’ve spent about $170,000 to get it up to scratch,” he said.
“It’s safe, clean and good for our members.”
“The future is up to the people of Peregian. We think it’s in the wrong place. It’s already failed once. People are wanting more than this building can provide for them.”
Ross said they’d been a couple of community meetings, but they were trying to organise more public consultation.
He said they wanted to get town planners to come up with computerised model of what club alternatives might look like so people could visualise it.
“It’s nor for us to decide. We’re just looking to the future of what is best for Peregian, but the people have to decide,” he said.
The project was jointly funded with the Federal Government investing $20,000 and Noosa Heads Surf Life Saving Club $105,677.
