Tweed snubbed over Rainbow Bay surf club demolition

TWEED residents say they have been snubbed in a decision to demolish the iconic Rainbow Bay Surf Life Saving Club, with a protest planned for March 21 as communities on both sides of the Queensland–New South Wales border rally against the redevelopment.

Gold Coast City Council has voted unanimously in favour of a masterplan that would see the ageing clubhouse rebuilt as part of a major foreshore redevelopment at Rainbow Bay.

Because Rainbow Bay sits within the border town of Coolangatta, the decision affects both Gold Coast and Tweed Shire residents, with many Tweed surfers and beachgoers frequenting the famous Snapper Rocks break.

Council says the new development would deliver a modern facility with expanded floorspace, direct beach access, improved public amenities and a permanent home for Snapper Rocks Surfriders Club.

But the plan has sparked strong opposition from locals, many of whom fear losing a building they say is central to the character of the coastline.

Built in 1962, the clubhouse has long been a meeting place for surfers, beachgoers and locals overlooking the world-famous Snapper Rocks break.

Local surfer and filmmaker Andrew Kidman said the venue holds decades of memories for the community.

“I would say 99% of the community’s memories from that place are good, because you’re up on the balcony, and you’re either looking at the surf and watching the waves, or you’re there with friends,” Kidman said.

“Surfing at its heart is sharing, and I can’t even begin to imagine the shared experiences in this building – the things that have happened there since the early 60s.”

“These things are important to people – they are their memories.”

Tweed coast surfer Ryder Johnson said the venue offers an experience that cannot easily be replaced.

“It just feels like home,” he said, describing the ritual of sitting on the club balcony with a beer after a day of pumping surf.

Opposition to the redevelopment has grown, with more than 10,000 people signing a petition calling for the building to be preserved.

Protest organiser and founder of Save Our Southern Gold Coast, Kath Down, said the rally is about locals having their voices heard.

“This isn’t about politics, it’s about community,” she said.

Down said that while the building requires maintenance, its original structure should be retained.

“I’m not saying the building is in fabulous shape by any means, but there are ways to build and expand with a nod to the past,” she said.

Supporters of the redevelopment argue the project will improve facilities and help secure the future of the precinct.

Snapper Rocks Surfriders Club president Jay Phillips described the proposal as a “collaborative solution” that would benefit both the Surfriders Club and the Surf Life Saving Club.

“This project is not about replacing that history, but rather about ensuring the precinct evolves to meet the needs of the future,” Phillips said.

Despite its international reputation as a world-champion board-riders club, Snapper Rocks Surfriders currently operates without a permanent clubhouse.

Phillips said the redevelopment would finally provide the infrastructure the club needs to support future generations.

The protest will be held on March 21 at 10am at parkland opposite Rainbow Bay Surf Life Saving Club.