PM drops in for $6.5m clubhouse pledge

PRIME Minister Scott Morrison returned to the Torquay Surf Lifesaving Club (SLSC) today (Monday, May 2) to announce a funding commitment of $6.5 million for a redevelopment of the 50-year-old facility should the Coalition win power at May 21’s federal election.

Mr Morrison was last at the club in December, when he spoke with club representatives about their efforts to raise $15 million for a total rebuild of the centre alongside Liberal candidate for Corangamite Stephanie Asher and Victorian Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson.

“I know that you’ve already raised a million, and I know how hard that is for clubs to do that,” Mr Morrison said.

“We do want to see that supported and matched by the state government and any others who can come in and support you.

“On the spectrum of support for surf clubs, it’s significant for us.”

The federal pledge of $6.5m adds to a $3.5m pledge from the state Liberals earlier in the year, and $2 million the club has itself raised.
“So just a little bit of a shortfall that we will continue to fundraise for,” Torquay SLSC president Tiffany Quinlan said.

“We’re very ready for this.

“This is a great kickstart, it’ll get some interest and tell people that we are real and we’re really going to get this done.”

The club has grown 25 per cent in the past four years and now has 1,500 members that are projected to increase to 2,500 within the next five years.

“We are literally bursting at the seams, without this money we can’t do what we need to do; everything we do is volunteer,” Ms Quinlan said.

Ms Asher said the funding would enable the club to keep pace with the rapidly expanding population of the area and visitors to the beach.

“Very, very busy surf beach obviously, more than 500 Nippers now and they’ve had to cap the number of Nippers.”

Asked if she expected her opponent, Corangamite Labor federal member Libby Coker, to equal the pledge, Ms Asher said it would be a good outcome.

“If the commitment is matched, then the winner is the community,” she said.