An artists impression of the new Ruakākā Surf Lifesaving Club which recently secured $1.9m funding and resource consent.
An artists impression of the new Ruakākā Surf Lifesaving Club which recently secured $1.9m funding and resource consent.
The Ruakākā Surf Lifesaving Club is a step closer to building a new purpose-built clubhouse for the Bream Bay community after securing $1.9 million funding and council resource consent.
Ruakākā Surf Lifesaving Patrol president Tania Ahrens said the anchor funding from Surf Life Saving New Zealand’s club capital projectfund came through last week, along with consent from Whangārei District Council, marking a major step forward for beach safety at Ruakākā.
The funding – around 35% of the total project budget of $5.5m – allows the club to move the project ahead with confidence, Ahrens said.
“Resource consent has been issued, the developed design is complete, and a clear funding and delivery plan is in place,” Ahrens said.
“Next, we will apply for building consent, funding grants and putting out for tender.
“There’s still a lot to do, but we’re on the ground running.”
Ruakākā is one of Northland’s busiest beaches with lifeguards responding to 201 incidents between 2020 and 2025.
They also took more than 2900 preventive actions and safeguarded over 22,000 beach users, while delivering beach safety education to more than 3300 students.
With 354 volunteer members, the club has outgrown its current facilities, which no longer support safe, efficient operations, Ahrens said.
The redevelopment will replace the club’s ageing building with a modern, fit-for-purpose facility.
The new building will be on the same footprint as the current one, but will include more space, a separate training area, and a large gear shed to store the ATVs and IRBs, boogie boards and kneeboards.
This will improve emergency responses, support volunteer wellbeing and training outcomes, and future-proof lifesaving services for the Bream Bay community, Ahrens said.
The club had been working on the project for more than a decade, quietly planning and “squirrelling away money”.
Ruakākā Surf Lifesaving Club’s 354 volunteer members will soon have new purpose-built facilities.
“We got to the point where we thought ‘we have to do something’ and a feasibility study was done in 2024.”
Ahrens said if all goes well, the shovel-ready project can start in August and will take about 18 months to complete.
“This redevelopment will future-proof lifesaving services at Ruakākā Beach and support the volunteers who keep our community safe.
“This project is about protecting lives, today and for generations to come.”
The club thanked Whangārei District Council for contributing $100,000 toward design and consent through the Whangārei communities fund, and Surf Life Saving NZ for their support in securing the anchor funding and progressing the project.
The club is now seeking further community, commercial and philanthropic support.
Jenny Ling is a senior journalist at the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering human interest stories, along with finance, roading, and social issues.
