By JOLENE OGLE
THE amalgamation of Peregian Beach SLSC into Noosa Heads SLSC was a Queensland-first, and it looks to be working a treat since patrols started six weeks ago.
According to Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ), the volunteer patrols of the Peregian Beach have been “seamless” with no reduction to the patrols, thanks to the help of Noosa Heads SLSC.
SLSQ Sunshine Coast regional manager Aaron Purchase said the decision to join the two clubs, while a difficult one for Peregian Lifesavers to make, has ensured the long-term future of surf patrols and member development at Peregian Beach.
Noosa Heads SLSC president Greg Cowie said the main focus for the club was to support the local community and provide a safe place to swim.
Mr Cowie said it had been a long process working through the legal and financial procedures of joining the clubs, but minus a few “hiccups” everything was working well.
“Generally, surf lifesaving is a great big family,” he said.
“We saw the need to firstly make sure the beaches were patrolled, and then for a long-term future for the Peregian facility.”
Peregian Beach SLSC former president Brett Leckie said the decision to close the Peregian Beach SLSC earlier this year was a “hard pill to swallow”.
“The local community have been confused and not really knowing what’s actually happening with the closure of the (bistro),” he said.
“The closing of the club upstairs was a financial matter due to trading conditions.
“Those trading conditions made it really difficult for us to continue.
“We had to make the decision to wind the club up. It was very difficult for our members and a hard pill to swallow, but one we had to make.
“For the betterment of life saving, that was a decision we had to make.”
Mr Leckie says he is now a member of the Noosa Heads SLSC board as the director of the Peregian Beach operations, where he will be responsible for the operations at Peregian Beach.
“My role is to facilitate what happens here at Peregian,” he said.
“Being a past Peregian member, it gives me a good standing to advise Noosa people on what happens here at Peregian, what the local community are looking for.”
Mr Leckie and Mr Cowie said it was hard to predict the future of the Peregian Beach SLSC bistro and upstairs area, but both were positive the future looked bright for both clubs.
