Dear PBCA members,
For 20 years PBCA has engaged in many battles against vested interests and developers hostile to our community’s village scale and welfare. The current issue surrounding the surf club is one of those.
You may have received an email from the Peregian Springs lobby group (PFAFA) about the surf club, including a doctored copy of an email I sent to the Council staff and all Councillors on 18 November 2018 advising that Ocean Life Saving Association was to be incorporated.
It is unclear how PFAFA obtained member's addresses and we will investigate that.
The email being spread around yesterday by individuals and organisations, which should have made some enquires first, had a doctored list of recipients to make it suit the smear campaign of “collusion” with a small number of Councillors.
In fact, it was sent to Mr Irwin of Council, and cc’d to all Noosa Councillors, the CEO and two other staff. Unless all of these individuals are “mates” the allegations are clearly false.
The reply from Mr Irwin was sent to the same 11 recipients and pointed out that the site is a reserve for lifesaving purposes and that Council is working through the detail of management and utilisation of the building and lifesaving services with Surf Lifesaving Queensland prior to considering other options.
There was no decision to favour OLSA or the PBCA or any decision at all and he told that to all Councillors.
OLSA was simply registering an interest in other ancillary uses of the under-utilised top floor of the building, after the community has waited five years for a clearly defined plan for the building.
As you know from my President's Reports and discussions at our meetings, we have been talking to Council about maximising the use of the currently under-utilised surf club building. As the lead residents’ group for PB and MB we have been seeking solutions that suit the village character. This is what PBCA does routinely.
Similarly, members of the PBCA Executive have taken supporting roles in organisations that reflect our values in order to assist them with their establishment. We did this for the Community House and now for the Ocean Life Saving Association.
PBCA will not put in a submission to the EOI process, but openly supports a surf club that welcomes and benefits the whole community.
We have fully supported the role of volunteer lifesavers and campaigned for the return of Nippers to Peregian Beach. We support the continued use of the downstairs area of the building for these functions.
We know that demanding an apology would be a waste of time because of the individuals and organisations involved in spreading this misinformation but it is necessary that our members are informed of the facts.