The City of Port Phillip is seeking feedback on Jackson Clements Burrows' (JCB) concept design for a new South Melbourne Life Saving Club building to be built in the same location near Withers Street.

Located in the William Crawford Pavilion building on Beaconsfield Parade since 1957, the South Melbourne Life Saving Club is being redeveloped as the current building doesn’t meet Life Saving Victoria’s Clubhouse of the Future guidelines, or the minimum standards for the provision of emergency services.

This project is delivered by the City of Port Phillip and the Victorian Government, in consultation with Life Saving Victoria and South Melbourne Life Saving Club.

As part of the South Melbourne Life Saving Club and public amenities redevelopment, the project will provide:

  • A new single-storey building for South Melbourne Life Saving Club, in the same location near Withers Street
  • 12 new public toilets
  • A new kiosk space
  • Multipurpose room, kitchen and toilets for community use
  • Outdoor public showers
  • Safer pedestrian and bike path near the building
  • Temporary accommodation for South Melbourne Life Saving Club while the new building is constructed

Key parameters guiding the concept design

  • Be for the primary purpose of a life saving club and all life saving activities to maintain beach safety.
  • Obtain Coastal Consent from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) under the Coastal Management Act 1995.
  • Have sightlines along the foreshore for life saving patrol requirements.
  • Be compliant with current accessibility and disability requirements.
  • The building will be no higher than two storeys and will meet building code and flood level requirements.
  • Maintain existing levels of public amenity provision.
  • Be sympathetic to the coastal setting and use appropriate design and coastal vegetation.
  • Design with materials suitable for marine environment and reduced ongoing maintenance.
  • Address existing safety concerns regarding pedestrian and bike rider conflicts along the Beaconsfield Parade footpath and bike path.
  • Deliver the project within the Victorian Government’s funding requirements and meet Life Saving Victoria’s Clubhouse of the Future development guidelines.
  • Construct building to meet the benchmark of a 5 star green star sustainability standard (from the Green Building Council of Australia).

Have your say

As the new building will be constructed on coastal Crown land, he City of Port Phillip will seek consent from Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) for the building design and construction. All feedback received during community consultation will be read by Council officers and summarised in a community engagement summary report. Council will refine the concept design based on community feedback. The community engagement summary report will be presented to DELWP along with the concept design and supporting information to inform their decision under the requirements of the Coastal Management Act 1995.

Image: Concept design of new South Melbourne Life Saving Club