Lifesaving clubs using their money wisely

STATE government funding is being put to good use by lifesaving clubs around the state to improve facilities, as the need for their services grow year-on-year.

There have already been more than 300 rescues and more than 50,000 preventive actions performed by lifesavers from the 57 clubs around Victoria.

The clubs cover a geographic spread from Australia’s only inland lifesaving club at Mildura, to the bayside beach clubs in Melbourne and those down the coasts from Apollo Bay to Waratah and along the Mornington Peninsula to Portsea.

Two clubs with well-advanced plans to upgrade their facilities are Jan Juc and Ocean Grove, with both in the final stages of detailed design before going to building tender.

Jan Juc SLSC has also engaged a demolition contractor and the early stages of demolition have begun.

“The new club will enable us to enact our strategic plan and take it into the next period of club growth, which will cater for the ever-growing population of both Torquay and the Armstrong Creek region, which is the largest-growing region in Victoria for new homes,” Jan Juc SLSC vice-president and building sub-committee chair Peter Smith said.

Beach visitations have increased at Jan Juc, and the 1,000 members at the club are forecast to grow to more than 1,500 by 2025.

Life Saving Victoria general manager of lifesaving development Andrew Foran said the demand on volunteer lifesaving services continued to increase.

“The state government has prioritised our clubhouse development in response to these increased demands.

“Funding is being put to good use as our clubs seek to ensure their facilities can cope with the increased need for storage of critical lifesaving equipment and room to train, ensuring our lifesavers are patrol ready.”

He said the effort and commitment of the clubs to renew their facilities was admirable as it was disruptive to programs and carnival capacity in the short term.

“But the anticipated benefits to the clubs, lifesaving and the broader community are clearly evident, and the future clubhouses will become huge community assets.”