Club stands firm on beer garden plea

LORNE Aquatic and Angling Club is making a last-ditch appeal to save its beer garden after it received an order to remove the popular space within the next month.

The club has called for help in its negotiations with the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority about its lease as it seeks to make its Outer Sanctum a permanent fixture at Lorne’s foreshore.

In an email sent to GORCAPA board members, politicians, and community members this week, LAAC commodore Keith Miller pleaded for the Authority to reconsider its decision and allow the club to maintain its capacity of large-scale fundraising and community activities.

The club argues that it designed its new area so the area had no loss of car parking, and offered to swap a similar-sized footpath and grass area that is part of its current lease to maintain the current level of public space.

“This would be very beneficial for our club, our members, visitors and the whole community,” Mr Miller said.

Mr Miller said the club had been inundated with support and support offers in the 24 hours after it made its latest plea public on Monday.

The Authority had granted LAAC permission to extend its outdoor areas into public space during the pandemic to help manage capacity limits. The temporary legislation change expired on June 30.

GORCAPA has given the club an August 21 deadline to return the area to open space.