The Port Bouvard Surf Life Saving Club is hoping to become a "centre for the community" when they cut the ribbon on construction of their facility's second storey in the coming months.
The new upgrades – built partly for training purposes – will give the club the ability to host a variety of courses and expand their reach across Mandurah's south.
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But it will also operate as a function centre and offer locals the chance to grab their morning coffees with a view that overlooks both Pyramids and Avalon Beach.
Completion of the $2 million project will see the end of a more than 10-year process for the club, an achievement life member and chairman of the building committee Mark Fenton said would be a resounding milestone.
"It will be massive," he said.
"We don't want this to be a community centre, we want to be a centre for the community, meaning a hub people south of the bridge have to come and enjoy the beach to its full potential.
"This has been in the works for some time now so to see it all becoming a reality is huge."
The club's original facility was built back in 2009 with the intention of being a two-storey base, but funding restrictions didn't allow for full completion.
Instead, the concrete slab for a second storey was laid with a temporary roof attached until the upgrade could be finalised.
Now, just months out of seeing the build completed, the club is hoping it will allow them to expand patrols as far north as Falcon Bay while also surveying south along the coast.
"We certainly foresee this giving us the opportunity to patrol Falcon Bay, which is something we're quite excited about," club president Jeff Kallawk said.
"For us to be expanding our services to more swimmers in Mandurah to help keep them safe is a big thing.
"We already patrol Falcon quite regularly but this will just help us drive that even more."
The club currently hosts more than 300 members, 67 of which partake in patrols, giving them one of the highest percentages of patrolling members in the country.
Their base includes nine qualified jetski drivers along with 25 inflatable rescue boat (IRB) operators, with the club already notching 29 rescues so far this season.
The renovations to their facilities will also see a new wedding venue opened in Mandurah, while giving the club the ability to host surf sports carnivals.
Construction on the project began in December last year and is expected to be finished by this July.
Justin Rake
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
