The first stage of construction of the new Paekākāriki Surf Clubhouse is well under way, with the shell of the building now being constructed.
The club’s chairman, Matt Warren, said creating a new clubhouse further inland had been in the planning stage for 13 years, but gathered a lot of momentum after the demolition of the old clubhouse in 2022.
Stage one of the project involves building the shell of the new clubhouse, which is expected to be completed around Christmas.
If the club reaches its fundraising goal, stage two will kick off straight after that and is expected to be completed in six months.
Since the demolition of the old clubhouse, the lifeguards have been operating out of shipping containers, which Warren said had not been great.