DA Q&As with the Pittwater Electorate Candidates

By Guyren Smith, President | 15 March 2023

Last week I emailed the four candidates to seek their positions regarding our clubhouse DA, which is due to go before the Sydney North Planning Panel again on 22 March.

Following on from the Meet the Candidates forum on 4 March, where the moderator asked a question with regard to the ongoing Development Application from the Council for the protection and enhancement of the Newport Surf Lifesaving Club, I think it is imperative that all candidates for the Pittwater electorate be given the chance to provide the 1000 plus members of Newport Surf Lifesaving Club as well as the 7000 plus lifesavers in the Pittwater electorate, with an informed position on this proposal. At the forum, the moderator asked a leading question that followed the Surfrider line of making out that the proposal has a seawall similar to that at Collaroy when in fact, the Development Application includes an engineered replacement for the rock revetment that has been in place since 1974 that will be unseen for the majority of the time.

It would be appreciated if you could provide an answer to the following two questions, which we can then provide unedited to our members. If you need further information on the application, it can be found here, or feel free to contact me.

Please see their responses below.

Do you support the council’s current development application to protect and enhance the Newport Surf Lifesaving Club building?

Australian Labour Party, Jeffrey Quinn

No response so far.

Community Independent, Jacqui Scruby

I strongly support Newport Surf Club’s DA and will advocate for it, continuing the advocacy of Rob Stokes.

Surf Life Saving Clubs, particularly Newport with its all-ability Nippers program, need access to the beach and quality facilities. The value you add to the community is significant, and you have a viable yet run-down building that can be refurbished, with a below-sand seawall to replace the one already there, with no apparent additional impacts or risks that are already in existence.

This is not a large above-ground sea wall, like in Collaroy, that can significantly impact the sand and beach.

I’ve spent this week reviewing all the materials. It is apparent from the submissions and reports that there is overwhelming community support, Council support and state and local representative support for keeping the historic clubhouse where it is.

Climate change and its impacts to our coast must be managed and more needs to be done at a state level to do this in a co-ordinated, considered and strategic way. More also needs to be done to educate the community on the risks and associated costs, so informed decisions can be made. All levels of government, including council, need to lead this. However, there must be a balance of all benefits and interests and it’s clear that these impacts have been considered and accepted in this instance by NB Council, the club and the community. It’s a hard discussion, but one that needs to be had, with full community engagement over time, which I’m committed to do.

Liberal Party, Rory Amon

Yes, I fully support the application to upgrade Newport SLSC. The process to prepare the development application has been rigorous, and I will be making a submission in support of the application prior to the upcoming panel hearing.

The upgrade of Newport SLSC is a key project I have committed to deliver if elected as the next Member for Pittwater.

The Greens, Hilary Green

I support redeveloping Newport Surf Club so that more space is available for boat storage and club activities.  However, I do not believe the design submitted in the current DA is appropriate.  The Greens base our decision-making on research and the best available evidence.  International and local research indicates that the integration of a seawall of any height into a building on a foredune would be environmentally destructive, leading to erosion of the beach at either end of the wall.  (https://www.ctc-n.org/technologies/sea-walls).  This was reflected in the decision of the planning panel, which included a number of experts who rejected the design, now under appeal.

We, therefore, believe any extension of the building should be away from the foredune (possibly behind the current building, as was done at Freshwater Surf Club decades ago), and coastal defences should be built as revetments. I would be very happy to help with developing and advocating for a suitable solution – as I know, Pittwater Greens Councillor Miranda Korzy has already said she would be prepared to do.

Do you support a similar funding model for this development to what has been applied to other recent local surf club builds, and if elected, will you advocate for state government funding of the project on the basis of the Club’s important role in providing the local Community with ongoing critical emergency lifesaving services and the wider social and wellbeing support services and benefits?

Australian Labour Party, Jeffrey Quinn

No response so far.

Community Independent, Jacqui Scruby

Newport SLSC needs more money. If elected, I will advocate strongly for the necessary state government funding for the upgrade of the Newport SLSC. I’m involved in Avalon SLSC and understand the hugely important role surf life-saving clubs play in our community. If I am fortunate enough to be elected the member for Pittwater, I will work tirelessly to secure funding for crucial projects for Pittwater, including the upgrade of Newport SLSC with a similar funding model to Mona Vale SLSC.

It is likely that we are heading for a minority government, where the support of the crossbench will be required. The needs of Pittwater, including the Newport SLSC, will be front of mind in all my work and negotiations.

Liberal Party, Rory Amon

Yes. I have already spoken directly with the Minister for Sport to advocate for the Newport SLSC upgrade and request it be funded and delivered by the NSW Government as soon as possible.

Rob Stokes and the current NSW Liberal Government have made significant investments in our local surf clubs, including $4.18 million for the Mona Vale SLSC upgrade and $1 million for works to Warriewood SLSC. The last Federal Liberal Government provided $1.9 million for the Long Reef SLSC upgrade, which was recently completed.

At the upcoming 25 March NSW election, the only way to ensure Newport SLSC is upgraded and our area keeps receiving the infrastructure investment it deserves is to vote 1 Liberal.

The Greens, Hilary Green

I would be very happy to advocate on behalf of Newport Surf Club and the wider Pittwater community for funding to carry out a redevelopment of the club in an environmentally sustainable way, via whatever government grants programs become available. It’s unlikely that would come from the NSW government’s Stronger Communities Fund, which helped finance the work at Mona Vale and Long Reef Surf Clubs, because it was set up to ease councils’ financial pressures following the 2016 council amalgamations and that program is coming to an end.