SUTHERLAND Shire Council will chip in $1 million towards rebuilding Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club's historic clubhouse.
The club, which is in its 108th year, is proposing a $5 million reconstruction of its heritage-listed clubhouse in Gerrale Street, on the southern edge of Cronulla Park.
Mayor Kent Johns proposed the contribution in a mayoral minute at the council meeting last week.
He said it was "on the understanding that the club will provide a study, which will identify all other capital funding sources for the project".
Apart from the council's $1 million contribution, there is no obvious source of the remaining funds required for the project.
Cr Johns described the clubhouse as "one of the most iconic public buildings in the shire" and said the club had given over a century of service to the community.
The club plans a significant rebuild of the existing clubhouse to address operational and functional problems resulting from past works to the original 1940s art deco building.
These, together with changes to building code regulations over the years, resulted in a building that is not suited for the club's current and future needs. Funding will come from the council's 2015-16 budget.
Cr Kevin Schreiber said: "In 50 years we have had no lives lost on our patrolled beaches. This is why we have to support our surf lifesaving clubs."
Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club has more than 1300 members, including 600 Nippers and 280 active (patrolling) members who contribute 4000 voluntary patrol hours annually; members have performed 908 rescues since 2004,
Club president Rob Short said the clubhouse had been added to several times over the years.
"It suffers badly from poor access and fragmented internal design and contains very dated and unsatisfactory facilities for its members and the community groups who use the premises," he said.
"It has a range of expensive ongoing maintenance issues related to aged roofing, doors, windows, electricals and plumbing."
He said key goals from the program were improved facilities for women and junior members, with a particular focus on equitable access, including lifts, ramps and bathrooms.
"The club must stay within the existing footprint and accommodate the constraints of heritage requirements and respect the building's history," he said. "This is something the club believes that it has willingly and successfully done."
It is the second local surf club that has approached the council in recent months to assist with its renovation.
The council resolved last month to form a working party to look at North Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club's redevelopment including an expansion into Dunningham Park.