By Jason Bryce – Coach of Open Water Swimmers
The Development Application for the new Williamstown Lifesaving Club has now been published by Hobsons Bay City Council. Anyone can comment or object to the plans until the tenth of October.
These are the third plans to be drawn up for this project. The initial concept drawings for a new club and indoor 25m heated aquatic centre were commissioned by WSLSC in 2018.
The state government announced they would fund the aquatic centre concept with a grant of $11.3 million. Hobsons Bay City Council chipped in $3 million for the new lifesaving facilities.
But nothing actually happened until 2023 when the second set of plans were published. Those plans sparked an internal member revolt at the club.
WSLSC’s board of directors were proposing to remove the ‘Member’s Only’ fence and the existing pool.
The board wanted to open up the front lawn to the public and build an observation tower and club rooms where the pool now sits.
But social members of the lifesaving club had other ideas.
The ‘Save Our Pool’ campaign that followed eventually led to a second round of consultations in August/September 2024, funded by an additional $1 million from Hobsons Bay City Council.
The results of that consultation are detailed in HBCC’s ‘What we Heard’ report.
74 per cent of respondents generally support the redevelopment of the lifesaving club, leaving about one in four people not wanting any changes at all.
The consultation identified three ‘frequently mentioned themes’:
- Broader community access – Respondents ‘wanted to see areas of the club open to the public, particularly the pool and lawn area.’
- Concern about taxpayer’s money being used for private facilities – Respondents were concerned about ‘the amount of local and state government funding being used to redevelop the club, given that it isn’t available to be used by all.’
- More/improved amenities – Respondents ‘desire to see more public toilets, change rooms and rinse-off areas/showers.’
The existing pool’s poor condition was documented in an engineer’s report.
The report advised that it can’t be renovated or changed without triggering compliance with modern standards.
Rather than comply with modern safety standards, the board of WSLSC, under pressure from the social members, decided to rely on the ‘pre-existing’ loophole and keep the pool unchanged. Ultimate responsibility and liability for the pool remains with Hobsons Bay City Council and ratepayers.
Instead of opening up the front lawn to the public, the club decided to retain the ‘Member’s Only’ fence and add two additional private lawn areas for social members.
Keeping the pool and adding more private lawns meant the club needed an enlarged site.
The project’s overall footprint now extends well beyond the club’s current fence line.
The carpark behind the club will lose 26 parking spaces. A large chunk of the nature strip on Esplanade will disappear along with the eastern access road into the carpark.
Parking will be much more difficult, not just on very hot days but on average summer weekends, according to WSLSC’s Traffic Impact Assessment.
For example, currently at 3pm on a Saturday about 39% of car parking spaces on local streets and in the carpark are empty.
That will fall to just 3%, meaning you can expect to be driving around looking for parking, or parking much further away from the beach. A similar extreme traffic bottleneck is projected for Saturday mornings.
Further complicating public access to the western end of the beach is a new boat ramp, from the carpark to the sand behind the rock breakwater. This is the favoured sheltered swimming spot for locals and families with children. The fine white sand from the original beach only exists at this spot.
Most concerning of all is that the consultation’s three ‘frequently mentioned themes’ have been largely ignored.
The club won’t be opened up, in fact the private lawn areas will be expanded and remain fenced off from the public.
There will be no public access to the pool, but there is a new licensed bar/function centre with an outdoor deck looking west.
To complete the redevelopment, WSLSC is asking for an additional $3 million from ratepayers, taking the total project cost to a staggering $18.3 million.
That’s three times the average cost of a new lifesaving club.
The new Anglesea SLSC cost a total of $5.5 million, including $2.3 million the club contributed themselves.
The new Gerringong SLSC cost $6 million, around the same as the Brunswick Heads SLSC.
The original grant to WSLSC was for a public indoor aquatic centre and new lifesaving club. Now the project will deliver less but cost a great deal more.
The historic hall, the crumbling pool and the entire premises remain the property of Hobsons Bay City Council.
The lifesaving club manages the site and this project but the public pay for it and have a right to be heard.
To view the plans and make comment to Council head click this link.
To read an earlier statement from the Williamstown Swimming and Life Saving Club click this link.
It’s tiring to consider the length of time and progress of concept plans that should, one would hope, meet the safety and recreation needs of the year-round open water swimmer.
I discovered the beach in 2021 with a keen interest in cold exposure and in learning to swim. Yet even now, safety remains a priority: for me, the relative novice and for the more experienced swimmer. A watchtower with full view of the beach would be reassuring; change and shower facilities nearer the beach would enable winter swimmers to dry off and warm up quickly. I had attended a community consultation at the club rooms early 2022 and expressed these views, adding my belief that an interest in winter swimming was growing.
When contrasting to local council representatives, apparent directions of Williamstown beach compared to facilities at Port Melbourne and St. Kilda as two examples, I was told these examples had the luxury of being main focal points whilst Williamstown had many parks etc. However, with monies going into the project from State and local government, one would hope the safety and recreational needs of the public is being met inclusively.
As pointed out above, responses to the plans are received until October 10th.
Could you please publish the site where the public can provide feedback to council? Thanks
https://www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/Council/Current-projects/Williamstown-and-Williamstown-North-projects/Williamstown-Beach-precinct-redevelopment/Williamstown-Swimming-and-Life-Saving-Club-redevelopment
The new club will ensure the club can continue to service its community near and far, including many many school programs, all abilities programs, diverse community programs and the spring/summer life saving services for everyone one who comes to the beach/crystals/local area. Offering water rescues, multiple emergency services in and out of the water, lost child searches to name but a few. The development ensures the clubs can provide these services and facilities for the growing population local and west side, future proofing it for many years to come. Updating the facilities to ensure they meet new and future disability standards and accessibility.
The membership fee allows members to have access to other facilities, no different to any other club… similar to golf clubs, AFL, cricket or sporting clubs, social clubs and similar.
Perhaps the author is more motivated by the “nimby” and hiding behind scare mongering over size, costs, noise etc. ????
Just a thought!
I know the members young and old would very much welcome more members and/or volunteers, so feel free to pop down and join in, its a fantastic community club that has provided a community service for over 100 yrs and here’s hoping for another 100 yrs to come.
Oh and by the way none of the developments you’ve quoted have pools attached and have similar grounds as Willi. Nor is the pool crumbling, the structural report clearly dismisses this claim.
Well well well…. Here we go again…. Local ‘community minded residents’ who don’t want to be part of a ‘community service club’ and want to grab access for themselves, while still expecting hundreds of volunteers to keep giving their time and money to provide a free community service.
If every time a community club tries to ensure facilities to enable their ongoing free community service the locals try and grab it for themselves, you’ll soon find instead of finding a lifesaving club, you’ll have increased costs associated with providing paid lifeguards and no benefits of youth education, community buy in, learn to swim, first aid and lifesaving skills taught to the community..
Shame on the residents who can’t understand volunteerism and the need for a sense of identity and unity, and shame on those locals who want everything for themselves and don’t want to put in and join a community club, but just take take take!