Long lease a springboard for gymnastics club

Council today endorsed a new 30 year lease for the Maroochy Beach Gymnastics Club, to help support a planned $1.5 million upgrade and expansion of the popular facility.

Sunshine Coast Council CEO Michael Whittaker said the longer lease provided greater surety for the Club in securing funding for the planned upgrade.

“Council has approved a longer tenure period to the Maroochy Beach Gymnastics Association due to exceptional circumstances,” Mr Whittaker said.

“The Association has plans for a significant extension and renovation and is in the process of securing funding for the $1.5 million project.

“The proposed upgrade is expected to deliver significant flow on benefits to our wider community.

“While the expansion will most certainly provide better facilities for local gymnasts, it will also provide a viable and attractive host destination for state and potentially also national-level competitions."

Council’s ‘ _Community groups occupying council owned or controlled land and/or infrastructure_’ policy endorses standard terms and conditions for community tenure arrangements. Although one of the guiding principles of the policy is for tenure periods to be a maximum 10 years for leases, longer tenure periods can be considered in exceptional circumstances.

The offer of a 30 year lease to Maroochy Beach Gymnastics Association Inc. has been approved based the need for extended tenure to support a proposed significant extension and renovation of the facility, which is to be funded by the Association and other external funding to be sourced by the Association.