Water levy may rise for surf club repairs

Gosford Council is considering increasing its water safety rate levy to cover the cost of maintaining its surf club buildings.

The council's strategy and policy forum has found that the budget for each surf club averages less than $2000 a year.

It has estimated that the Umina Surf Club building requires about $75,000 of building repairs and Ocean Beach Surf Club requires $42,500 of repairs.

The buildings may need replacing within seven years.

Council's strategy and policy forum has been asked to provide council with a report that examines the long-term benefits of increasing the maintenance budget for surf clubs.

The forum committee will look at increasing the recurrent maintenance budget for surf clubs in an attempt to give the clubs a longer life before replacement is needed.

Currently however, both Ocean Beach and Umina Surf Clubs have been deemed in a state of serious deterioration.

"The buildings were all built to a price and now items such as metal structural elements are rusting and bricks collapsing in the salty, humid environment," said the forum's report to council.

"Council's building operations section have a recurrent budget allocation of $16,000 per annum which is shared between all nine clubs (city-wide) on a three year rotating cycle.

"That is, each club receives, on average, $5300 worth of maintenance every three years.

"The budget falls well short of required levels.

"The result is that buildings require replacement within a shorter timeframe than that which would be expected given a reasonable level of maintenance funding.

"Even the basic works required to upgrade the buildings to a minimum deterioration condition cannot be achieved.

"The better a maintenance program is, the longer buildings will last."

The Ocean Beach surf club has received a new roof in the last year.

A further study will be undertaken to "identify a strategy to maximise the effect of funds in a strategic and structured maintenance program; and a strategically-planned building replacement program".

The strategy and policy forum reported that council was regularly called upon to undertake maintenance works, which were the responsibility of delegated committees for the clubs.

Cr Lynne Bockholt said the report would detail the problems faced by the clubs to keep their buildings operational.

"Council strongly supports the Surf Lifesaving movement on the coast, believing the volunteers do a magnificent job patrolling our beaches and keeping us all safe," she said.

"I believe the surf clubs are a wonderful community asset, particularly for young people, a place where they can learn about caring for the community without payment or reward.

Carl Spears, December 11