New Surf Life Saving Kariaotahi clubrooms will rise at the popular but often challenging Franklin beach.
And now Franklin Local Board has agreed to contribute $16,000 to pay for off-site storage of the club’s equipment while the rebuild goes ahead.
Board chair Angela Fulljames says no one can question the value of the work the club does, but if new facilities replace the ageing ones, they won’t count for much if all the gear has been ruined during the process.
“It would be nice to provide money for a new boat and have a shiny board logo on it, but the club is best-placed to tell us what it really needs support for.”
Waiuku subdivision member Sharlene Druyven says the current clubhouse is 50 years old and in the rugged west coast conditions that means it has taken a beating.
“We have watched the club go to astonishing lengths to get together the funding it needs and we are delighted to play a small part in making the change happen.”
The money comes from the Franklin Coastal Rescue Fund budget, which also saw $26,000 allocated to Coastguard Maraetai as a contribution to yearly operating costs that also cover boating education programmes, and another $30,000 allocated to Waiuku Search and Rescue for two new outboard motors.
“We are unique in board terms in that we have an awful lot of coastline, touching the east and west coasts. That means we have a lot of boaties, people out fishing and tramping the coastal walks,” Druyven says.
“These groups are there when we need them. They saves lives, it is as simple as that.”
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