Restored Cottage by the Sea reopens

THE newly renovated and restored Cottage by the Sea is welcoming children again, and has been officially opened.

The $3.4 million works at the Queenscliff building were supported by a $1.5 million grant from the Morrison Government’s Building Better Regions Fund in 2018.

Victorian Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson, who represented Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Michael McCormack at the December 12 opening, said the project had completely transformed facilities at Cottage by the Sea.

“I was delighted to join with the board and management of Cottage by the Sea, along with many local volunteers, to celebrate the opening of this very significant upgrade.

“For 130 years, Cottage by the Sea has been providing disadvantaged children with the chance to have a holiday by the sea. The mission of Cottage by the Sea is to enhance the lives of children in need by providing inspiration, fun and opportunity within a holiday environment.

“This investment delivers first-class facilities, enabling more programs to be run for more at-risk children each year. Shortly, Cottage by the Sea will welcome children from Gippsland who were impacted by the Black Summer bushfires.

“I congratulate all at Cottage by the Sea for their vision and dedication.”

Bill Kerr, who is in charge of Cottage by the Sea’s community engagement and relationships, said the cottage reopened in the last week of November following the renovations and the forced closure during the coronavirus pandemic, and had held four weeks of community camps since then.

“The kids have loved the new spaces. As soon as they walk in the front door, they get a glimpse of the water, and they look to their right and there’s a slide from the top floor down to the reception floor.

“The spaces they get to use now compared to what we had have a lot more floor space to use but a lot more practical space.

“The cottage we had was but in 1938, and aside from a lick of paint hadn’t had much money spent on it, so it was quite dated in its layout and in lots of other aspects, but now it’s open and full of colour.

“It allows the kids to have an understanding it’s a fun and inspiring place, and it’s really a building that has children as its core in its design and thinking about what they can do and how they can use the space.”