Katos promises refurbished rooms at Torquay SLSC

THE Opposition has made a splash at the Torquay Surf Lifesaving Club, pledging nearly three quarters of a million dollars towards refurbishing the clubhouse.

Shadow Minister for Emergency Services Brad Battin and South Barwon MP Andrew Katos visited the club and met with members to make the $730,000 commitment, which would be combined with a $150,000 donation from the RACV Torquay Resort.

The upgrades will reconfigure the existing building at Torquay’s surf beach and provide extra storage for equipment and training, patrol and first aid, a café and kiosk on the first floor and disabled toilets, as well as window replacements and space for community education and training facilities.

Mr Katos said the Opposition’s commitment would mean the club would only have to raise about $20,000 to fully fund the much-needed works.

“You come to the building and no-one really knows where the front door is, so the facilities that the general public use will be brought to the beach.

“We find it very important to support volunteers in surf life saving and we need to give you those facilities, but also for you to become self-sufficient as well, which the increased facility, particularly around the food and beverage, will allow you to do.”

Mr Battin said Mr Katos had advocated for the Opposition to fund the Torquay SLSC for a long time.

“It’s happened because Andrew’s pushed it. We’ve had discussions with Surf Life Saving Australia and what they put through as their list of things to get done – this is the one because Andrew has kept pushing for it.”

Torquay SLSC members welcomed the funding commitment, saying they had outgrown their existing facilities and the space they had was not being put to its best use.

Torquay SLSC life member Noel Dubberley said the upgrades were relatively straightforward, and in a best case scenario, could be completed over the winter of 2019 ready for the start of the following summer patrol season.