Kiama Council continues to work with Gerringong Surf Life Saving Club and Surf Life Saving NSW towards mutually beneficial outcomes for the community.
Last week Kiama Mayor Cameron McDonald held a meeting with Steven Pearce, the CEO of Surf Lifesaving NSW (SLNSW), and Gary George, president of Gerringong Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC), to work through the recent resolution of council and discuss a pathway forward.
The meeting between Council, SLNSW and Gerringong SLSC was constructive, collegiate, and helped provide clarity around the appropriate planning pathways, lease negotiations and a range of compliance and operational matters.
All entities remain positive and committed to assisting the surf club to operate effectively from their wonderful new facility, which was built with the assistance of State and Federal funding, as well as a $370,000 contribution from Kiama Council.
Kiama Mayor Cameron McDonald said: "I stated publicly in our recent Council Meeting that we were keen to have a fresh start in relations between Kiama Council and Gerringong SLSC and I'm pleased to report that last week's meeting was a big step in the right direction."
"Planning, zoning, and lease and licence agreements can be complex so we're working through them with our in-house experts and the key stakeholders involved."
"We thank the community for their patience and understanding that these matters can take some time and there is often much misunderstanding around the nuances. However we are making good progress," Cr McDonald said.
Steven Pearce CEO of SLSNSW said: "I would like to thank Kiama Council for their obvious, and demonstrated commitment moving forward to find solutions to allow the Gerringong SLSC volunteer lifesavers and Gerringong community utilise our new surf life saving facility to support the delivery of critical lifesaving and emergency responses, and be a hub for community inclusion."
"Our meeting post council meeting was very constructive and SLSNSW is committed to ensuring we find a solution that meets all stakeholders' needs and outcomes," Mr Pearce said.
Future meetings will be scheduled, and the community will be kept informed as the matter moves ahead.
