Albany Surf Life Saving Club reopens at Middleton Beach after $3.3m refurbishments
Albany's freshly refurbished Surf Living Saving Club officially reopened its doors last week, with its $3.35 million spruce-up expected to improve the vital beach patrol service's capacity for years to come.
Located pride of place on Middleton Beach, the club has been closed since February 2024 for renovations that included adding a new beach patrol centre with a dedicated first aid room, patrol briefing area and lookout, training rooms and boardrooms as well as an overhaul of weathered infrastructure.
Thursday saw Albany mayor Greg Stocks joined by the Premier's Secretary and Cockburn MLA David Scaife, ASLSC president Sarah Bowles and the Jack Family Trust's David Moss to cut the ribbon on the new building.
Mr Stocks said the new facility would help the club meet growing demand at Middleton Beach.
'This is a club that's been part of Albany's story for a long time — it's where generations have learnt to read the ocean, how to look after each other, and how to step up in moments of need,' he said.
'This redevelopment ensures the club can keep doing what it does best — but even better.
'There's now safer, more practical storage for equipment, a proper hub for lifesaving operations, and spaces for training and community events.'
Ms Bowles echoed the mayor's sentiment, saying the renovation represents an 'investment in the future'.
'From improved safety across our lifesaving and surf sports areas to more weather-protected spaces for swimmers and beachgoers, this redevelopment allows us to meet growing demand while giving back to the community that supports us.'
The renovation was jointly funded by State Government contributions of $2.8m, $350,000 from the City of Albany and $200,000 from the ASLSC.
First born as the Naval & Military Sea Bathing Club in 1917, the club has since grown to have more than 500 members in the following 108 years.
Sport and Recreation Minister Rita Saffioti labelled the new facilities 'fantastic', while Great Southern Minister Reece Whitby called them a 'major win' for the club's members and the community.
'I commend everyone involved in this project for their hard work and dedication in bringing their vision for this facility to life, and I look forward to seeing the newly refurbished club's continued positive impact on our community,' Mr Whitby said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
20-05-2025
- West Australian
Three South West restaurants to plate up special dishes for State food and beverage campaign
Three restaurants in the South West will be plating up special dishes crafted from local produce next month, as part of a State program to shine a spotlight on WA's food and beverage scene during the quieter winter months. Tall Timbers Manjimup, Amelia Park Restaurant and Drakesbrook Fine Wines will be among 45 venues across WA taking part in the Plating Up WA campaign — an initiative of the WA Government's Buy West Eat Best program, now in it's seventh edition. Plating up everything from breakfasts and long lunches to grazing boards and dinners, during June the eateries will aim to showcase fresh local ingredients, such as wild-caught fish, succulent beef, pork and lamb, artisan cheeses, seasonal fruits and vibrant veggies. Tall Timbers Manjimup will conjure up their take on a classic truffle burger — with 8g of fresh black truffle, beetroot relish, bacon, Brunswick Cheddar, a Stirling Ranges ground beef pattie and hand cut royal blue chips. Buy West Eat Best program manager Melissa Worthington said they were 'thrilled' to bring the program back again. 'Since launching in 2018, this campaign has showcased more than 300 venues and it continues to grow each year,' she said. 'I'm especially excited to see new venues joining us for the very first time this year. 'Many of the ingredients featured are selected directly from our Buy West Eat Best ingredient register — it's a true celebration of our local producers and the creative chefs who bring their stories to life on the plate.' Drakesbrook Fine Wines in Waroona will be serving up a Ha-Ve Harvey cheese platter, which features autumn condiments with house quince paired with estate grown malbec and mourvedre wine. Wilyabrup's Amelia Park Restaurant will create a Great Southern honey mousse, with Omega walnut oil gelato, white chocolate, candied Omega walnuts, apple cake and cream from Bannister Downs Dairy.
West Australian
20-05-2025
- West Australian
Biannual MARKYT community scorecard reveals City of Albany as sixth-best performing regional LGA
A scorecard filled out by City of Albany residents has revealed that despite a dire housing situation, the city is the sixth-best-performing regional local government. Conducted every two years, the MARKYT community scorecard report benchmarks the city's performance against other WA local governments and informs the review of the city's strategic community plan. The report released last Wednesday revealed a score of 68/100 in overall performance and 81/100 as a place to live. Both scores are above the industry averages of 63 and 74 respectively, and an increase from the 2023 survey results. Albany placed sixth in overall performance out of 32 regional LGAs, and 15th overall. Particularly high-scoring amenities included library and sporting/recreation facilities and services, as well as community engagement, tourism offerings, community buildings and marine facilities. City of Albany mayor Greg Stocks said he was pleased to see the city staff's hard work reflected in the results. 'Albany continues to shine as a place to live, work and visit,' he said. 'Not only did we see solid performance across most services, but nearly all of them rated at or above the industry average when benchmarked against councils across the State. 'Our library services, sport and recreation facilities, and destination marketing were all stand-out performers, and we saw positive gains in areas like community engagement, communication and local roads. 'We're incredibly grateful to the more than 2500 people who took the time to share their thoughts, as this feedback helps build the foundation of our strategic plans and ensures we stay focused on what matters most to our community.' The scorecard was open from March 10-28, 2025 and was the best answered in terms of numbers, with a record 2524 people filling out the form. Housing stood out as a clear area for improvement, rating 'weak and declining'. Actions recommended by the community to solve the crisis included lobbying the State and Federal governments to increase supply, repurposing existing buildings, simplifying planning approvals and increasing social and crisis accommodation. Health services also performed low, with residents asking for increased hospital capacity, mental health and rehabilitation support, more aged care facilities and the installation of a hydrotherapy pool. Other priority areas outlined included building more footpaths, trails and cycleways, improving local roads and bridges, and boosting economic development and job creation. 'Community expectations are clear — housing, healthcare access, economic development, local roads and footpaths are key priorities,' Mr Stocks said. 'These are issues affecting regional communities across Australia, and we'll continue to advocate strongly alongside our partners in government.' Results from the 2021 scorecard revealed Albany to be the best-performing regional local government in the State with a score of 75/100, before the 2023 survey saw a drop to 66/100, still two points above the average of 64. The results will feed directly into the city's review of its strategic community plan and help shape future budget decisions and advocacy efforts.
West Australian
20-05-2025
- West Australian
Albany Surf Life Saving Club reopens at Middleton Beach after $3.3m refurbishments
Albany's freshly refurbished Surf Living Saving Club officially reopened its doors last week, with its $3.35 million spruce-up expected to improve the vital beach patrol service's capacity for years to come. Located pride of place on Middleton Beach, the club has been closed since February 2024 for renovations that included adding a new beach patrol centre with a dedicated first aid room, patrol briefing area and lookout, training rooms and boardrooms as well as an overhaul of weathered infrastructure. Thursday saw Albany mayor Greg Stocks joined by the Premier's Secretary and Cockburn MLA David Scaife, ASLSC president Sarah Bowles and the Jack Family Trust's David Moss to cut the ribbon on the new building. Mr Stocks said the new facility would help the club meet growing demand at Middleton Beach. 'This is a club that's been part of Albany's story for a long time — it's where generations have learnt to read the ocean, how to look after each other, and how to step up in moments of need,' he said. 'This redevelopment ensures the club can keep doing what it does best — but even better. 'There's now safer, more practical storage for equipment, a proper hub for lifesaving operations, and spaces for training and community events.' Ms Bowles echoed the mayor's sentiment, saying the renovation represents an 'investment in the future'. 'From improved safety across our lifesaving and surf sports areas to more weather-protected spaces for swimmers and beachgoers, this redevelopment allows us to meet growing demand while giving back to the community that supports us.' The renovation was jointly funded by State Government contributions of $2.8m, $350,000 from the City of Albany and $200,000 from the ASLSC. First born as the Naval & Military Sea Bathing Club in 1917, the club has since grown to have more than 500 members in the following 108 years. Sport and Recreation Minister Rita Saffioti labelled the new facilities 'fantastic', while Great Southern Minister Reece Whitby called them a 'major win' for the club's members and the community. 'I commend everyone involved in this project for their hard work and dedication in bringing their vision for this facility to life, and I look forward to seeing the newly refurbished club's continued positive impact on our community,' Mr Whitby said.
