Surf lifesaving club’s $2.3m plans get boost
A Christchurch surf lifesaving club struggling to run out of a quakedamaged building has new premises on the horizon.
The New Brighton Surf Life Saving Club – one of the country’s oldest – has been granted resource consent for a new clubrooms, to replace the existing building on Marine Parade.
The project is expected to cost about $2.3 million.
The build is expected to take about a year, but cannot start until a lease for the land has been finalised.
Club president James Gaskell had been hoping the new building would be part of the hot pools complex, which is being built next door, but ‘‘changed tack’’ earlier in the year after struggling to finalise a lease.
The club is now renegotiating its existing lease with the Christchurch City Council. It has to be changed as the new building’s footprint of 607 square metres will be larger than the 347sqm clubrooms it has now.
Gaskell said the lease needed to go to the community board, but had been delayed by the local elections.
The existing building was damaged in the earthquakes and now failing, he said, but the club did not get a large payout from insurance as much of the damage was labelled wear and tear. The cost to bring it up to standard was about half of what a new build would cost.
The club had about two-thirds of the money it needed, including $1m from council. It had some grant applications pending, but others needed the lease to be confirmed before they could be processed.
The new build is designed to allow people to sit under shelter and watch the sea, as well as host community classes, weddings and other functions.
Gaskell said he hoped many community groups would use the new building.
‘‘I think it will add a lot. Brighton does need people to start spending money around facilities and around the area.’’
The club was was officially formed in July 1910. It patrols New Brighton beach on weekends and public holidays during the summer season.