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- 5 December 2002
Garie Beach Surf Club House
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Page: 7958
The Hon. PATRICIA FORSYTHE [2.55 p.m.]: I draw to the attention of the House the state of the surf club house at Garie Beach. I thank the Liberal candidate for Heathcote, Peter Vermeer, for drawing this issue to my attention and for his efforts on behalf of the club to get government action. Garie Beach is in the Royal National Park. The Garie Surf Life Saving Club, which was formed in 1938 after a drowning incident, has performed thousands of rescues and since 1964 has been the sole first-aid body in the area. In addition, club members have been involved in cliff rescues and searches for missing bushwalkers. The club faces possible disbandment because the clubhouse is in a state of total disrepair. It has been in that state for some time. Concern for the safety of clubhouse users is so great that it may have to be abandoned.
In 1996 the club approached the National Parks and Wildlife Service to build a new clubhouse incorporating the National Parks and Wildlife Service kiosk, ranger's quarters, public toilets and showers. The club had sponsorship, but the National Parks and Wildlife Service rejected the offer. Over the next three years, 22 meetings were held between the club and the NPWS to resolve issues. In 1999 Liberal members of Parliament for Sutherland and Georges River, Lorna Stone and Marie Ficarra respectively, took up the cause and the then Minister for the Environment, Pam Allan, provided a cheque for $50,000 and directed the National Parks and Wildlife Service to co-operate with the club. A site for a clubhouse was agreed upon, although the National Parks and Wildlife Service later proposed a shift to accommodate a sand dune.
In April 1999 the National Parks and Wildlife Service wrote to the club stating that the Minister for the Environment did not have power under any legislation regarding national parks to independently approve a building. When the club later found out about that, it had lost its sponsorship. The club agreed in 2000 to the new site, and plans were drawn up. A consultant was engaged to prepare and submit a review of environmental factors [REF]. The National Parks and Wildlife Service insisted on its own consultant. In January 2001 a new consultant was approved. Over the remainder of 2001, 11 meetings were held and the completed REF went on public display for four weeks. No adverse comments were received. Following further delays by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, approval was finally granted in May this year. In late May the club held talks with Royal National Park officials and reached an agreement on a new lease. That lease was sent to the Hurstville office of the National Parks and Wildlife Service. To date it has not been sent back.
So despite the Minister's agreement in 1999 to the club getting the go-ahead, and the approval in May this year, still no action has been taken on the clubhouse. Meanwhile the existing clubhouse remains in a dangerous condition. In recent weeks local media coverage in the St George and Sutherland Shire Leader has drawn comments from the National Parks and Wildlife Service. In response, the club's President, Alf Taylor, stated:
The NPWS claim they have supplied most of the funding to get the Garie SLSC clubhouse building proposal to its current stage. Garie SLSC has contributed $57,685 in cash and donated professional services.
The $35,000 committed by the NPWS was for the services of a consultant to submit a Review of Environment Factors for the complete Garie Valley. Garie SLSC's proportion of this REF was worked out to be 18%. Taking into account the previous funding that our club has already put toward this project, NPWS actually owes Garie SLSC for a portion of the REF.
Failure to help this club is bureaucracy gone mad. In 1999 Pam Allan got it right, and it is time that someone in the Carr Government directed the department to get on and get this clubhouse built. It is a disgrace that the National Parks and Wildlife Service can ignore the needs of the local community. It is a disgrace also that throughout the entire term of this Government, no-one has cared enough to require action to be taken.
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