Surf Lifesaving development centre opens | Photos

Community members, volunteers and government representatives gathered in Margaret River last week to mark the official opening of the Surf Life Saving WA South West Development Centre.

The facility, located on Railway Terrace on a site previously occupied by the Margaret River Lodge backpacker accommodation, can cater for up to 100 people, with shared bedrooms, dining and kitchen facilities, bathrooms and training rooms.

Wadandi custodian Mitchella Hutchins opened the ceremony with a Welcome to Country, before Surf Life Saving WA (SLSWA) President Craig Smith-Gander AM welcomed Regional Development Minister Don Punch MLA and AMR Deputy Shire President, Julia Meldrum.

Having become a resident of the Margaret River region himself, Mr Smith-Gander said the popularity of South West beaches proved the location choice was sound.

“The other day I went down to Redgate, it was beautiful, there were 40-odd people in the water, the carpark was chock-a-block with 200 cars, and that just shows you why we came down here to put this centre in place.

“Because the community is growing so rapidly. We’ve got beaches that are overflowing, we’ve got lots of people coming into the region, so we need to support it.

“We looked at this about four years ago now, deciding to come down here. We looked at places in the City of Busselton, within the Augusta Margaret River Shire, and then this facility became available.”

The backpacker site was purchased in 2020, before significant delays were caused by COVID-19.

A Lotterywest grant of up to $867,000 was delivered to help continue the project.

Mr Smith-Gander said the property would provide recreation and training spaces, equipment storage and administration areas.

“The opening of the Centre is the realisation of our organisation’s strategic intent to support regional development, volunteer development, and provide an exceptional facility to deliver amazing experiences for our clubs and members,” he said.

“As one of WA’s premier coastal tourism destinations and home to six of our surf life saving clubs, the south west is a very important region for surf life saving and offers considerable potential for growth, both in terms of local membership and state level activities.”

Minister Punch said he was proud of the State’s surf lifesaving traditions, “keeping beachgoers safe and supporting young people to learn the value of volunteering”.

“This is a fantastic facility for Surf Life Saving’s members and dedicated volunteers in the Margaret River region. It will also benefit the wider community now and into the future,” he said.

“With the facility now open, we already have clubs booking for a range of activities.

“In December, we look forward to welcoming attendees of the Word Conference on Drowning Prevention, to be held in Perth, to the [Margaret River] Centre as part of the conference program.

“And we are excited to host our popular Youth Development Camps at the Centre over the summer holidays.”