Catch of the decade: New clubhouse design lands approval

AFTER years of design disputes and dashed plans, relief is in sight for the Lorne Aquatic and Angling Club, which has finally backed new designs for its beloved clubhouse.

Secretary Jim Rothel said the new clubhouse will allow the club to continue operating as it has done since the 1960s, albeit in a larger space with better facilities.

“It’s very sympathetic to the existing aquatic club building — it looks very similar. It has all the amenities we want in it and we’re asking for, and the design just seems to suit the location. We’re very happy — it’s even got a much bigger footprint than we originally had.”

 

 

 

It is a welcome outcome for what has been a trying process for both the members of the angling club and the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority (GORCAPA), with several attempts to revitalise the site falling flat over the years. In the process, the community has often found itself at odds with the vision of the land manger.

In one 2018 iteration, which Mr Rothel described as a “disaster”, GORCAPA (then the Great Ocean Road Coast Committee) launched a competition to select the design of the new clubhouse.

It was scrapped in 2022 along with designs for the rest of the precinct, after the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal rejected the plans.

“We’re all very happy with the way it’s turned out, but we’re all very disappointed it’s taken over a decade to get there and wasted a lot of money getting there,” Mr Rothel said.

 

 

 

This time around, the key design elements the club has been pushing for — a fish cleaning station and a boat wash facility — are both accounted for in the plans.

To make way for the development, which is expected to be completed by mid-2026, the angling club has been asked to vacate the premise by February 2. It will cease trade on January 26.

It is the memorabilia that presently adorns the walls of the ageing angling clubhouse that Rothel is most keen to see move across to the new space.

“We’ll keep the same vibe of what we’ve currently got, which makes the place so special.”

 

 

A GORCAPA spokesperson said the organisation was working closely with the LAAC to co-design the new building and is excited to see it come together.

“It will be a fantastic new space for members with modern, accessible facilities and amazing views.”

Major works across the Point Grey precinct are expected to begin in late January, with completion scheduled for late June.

 

 

“Shaped by extensive community engagement, the entire redevelopment will really deliver for the community, providing a new hospitality offering, great new open space and improved facilities for both visitors and fishers,” the GORCAPA spokesperson said.

“We can’t wait to see people enjoying the area, picnicking at new shaded seating, using the fish cleaning station or simply enjoying a coffee while exploring the rich shared history of the site.

“We will work to minimise disruptions to public access to their pier during construction.”