A Wollongong councilor has a dream to set up a summer beach club on the sand at North Wollongong with cocktails, live music and good times. But it won't be a "raging party around the clock".
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Cr Cameron Walters wants to "activate" the popular North Beach in a similar fashion to South Australia's Moseley Beach Club which was trialed at Glenelg.
Cr Walters said the offering could be an opportunity to assist ongoing tourism growth and boost the local economy.
"It's prime real estate, in the sense we have people coming to visit from all over Australia and even internationally that we should be activating that space in North Wollongong," he told the Mercury.
"We could have something that would see people watch live music ... sit down on a sun-chair and relax.
"We'd be looking to have a small part on the sand, portioned off, and it would still leave a large percentage of North Wollongong beach for the community."
If I can be laying down on North Wollongong Beach having a pina colada watching one of our great live music performers ... there's nothing that says Wollongong more than that.
- Cr Cameron Walters
Cr Walters will put forward a proposal at next week's Wollongong City Council meeting for a three-month trial of a beach club, in collaboration with Destination Wollongong.
He didn't want the setup to be a "replica" of the Moseley but it would include seating, tables, sun lounges, deck chairs, food, drinks and music.
It's understood the Glenelg trial brought in 30,000 visitors (up to 600 people per day), flushed $3.6 million into local businesses and the community, employed 40 new staff and 20 musicians.
"The trial saw 80 per cent of residents in the local area of Moseley Beach in favour or indifferent of the Moseley Beach Club trial," Cr Walters's proposal said.
At Monday night's meeting, Cr Walters will call for a report into the economic benefits and how to minimise the environmental impacts; as well as whether the club should be a council run venture or put to tender.
"We'll have to investigate whether council takes the initiative up or whether the key stakeholders in the area [like North Kiosk, Diggies and North Beach Pavilion] might really want to take advantage of this," he said.
Last summer North Beach played host to its first commercial dance party on the sand with global giant Corona taking it over for their Sunsets music festival.
Cr Walters said his proposal would not be a reincarnation of Sunsets but instead a relaxed, small-scale venture.
"People could have a drink, have some food and watch some nice live music as the sun rises over the beach or the sun sets behind the hills.
"If I can be laying down on North Wollongong Beach having a pina colada, watching one of our great live music performers from around the area ... there's nothing that says Wollongong more than that."