Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A local and Sydney-based consortium has proposed a multi-million development for Huskisson, overlooking Currambene Creek and Jervis Bay.
Auric Consortium has proposed to relocate Club Jervis Bay to the western side of Currambene Street on land owned by Shoalhaven City Council and construct apartments on the current club site.
The proposal includes a new larger club built on the western side providing better views over the creek and out to Jervis Bay, while still respecting the community’s expectations to maintain a view corridor to the north from Owen Street.
A public square would be established along with pedestrian treatment of Currambene Street.
The second stage involves the provision of a green public square where Currambene Street exists, with a service road to provide access to Currambene Creek foreshore and the wharf area.
The third stage involves the construction of high quality residential development on the existing club site.
It is believed the proposal will bring greater employment opportunities to the town and increase trade for the local businesses.
Club chief executive officer Derek Ohlston said the club was looking to reinvent itself.
“The proposal is another commercially viable variation of one option [option 2] proposed under the current Shoalhaven City Council’s Huskisson Foreshore Master Plan review and public consultation process,” he said.
“This would provide a new innovative club infrastructure to appeal to current and future generations of membership.
“The club is looking at repositioning itself under a new vision statement for a new business model aimed at revitalising both its customer offerings and experience.
“We want to be a tourist destination and an iconic element within the Huskisson Village.”
He believes the plan could secure Club Jervis Bay into the future, which was the board’s immediate objective.
“The days of reliance on solid poker machine revenues were well and truly over,” he said.
“It is imperative all clubs have to implement different revenue raising strategies to remain viable in the medium to long term, so they are able to both meet their customer expectations and in the case of Club Jervis Bay maintain their community services from surplus revenues.
“The club employs about 75 management and staff and currently occupies a tired 60-year-old building. It is undergoing interim works to position the club for the next four to five years.
“This is the beginning of a process to position the club for at least another successful 50 years of trading and servicing the community and its traditional defence force family.”
He said Auric Consortium includes a strong development manager, a solid capital partner source and a tier one builder, looking at investing into a new infrastructure.
The proposal would provide a publicly accessible square to permanently preserve a view corridor to the north centered on Currambene Street.
“Taking advantage of the natural fall of the site, the square would be built over a new two storey Club Jervis Bay which would be about 50 per cent larger than the existing facility,” Mr Ohlston said.
Disabled access and undercover car parking with direct access to the club would be provided under the proposal.
The existing Club Jervis Bay site would become an increased density development to relate to the five storey approval achieved on the adjacent Huskisson Pub site.
“It is still early days and there are many hurdles to overcome,” Mr Ohlston said.
“We have only started the consultation process with our members and will continue consulting with the community and then eventually council to seek approval.”
Club chairman Rod Simpson asked all to have an open mind as the process goes forward.
“I believe the offering made by the development syndicate is genuine and goes close to ticking all the boxes for achieving all stakeholder objectives within a viable development outcome,” he said.
The proposal has been well received by the club membership gauging by the response to its first information meeting in July. A second information meeting is proposed for the next couple of months as the consultation process continues.