Newy 87.8 FM Playing The Music You Know And Love
play_arrowJim’s Dairy Delites: Newcastle’s Historic Milk Bar SOLD and Undergoing Restoration Newy Staff
newy.com.au – Blacksmiths Beach will host the NSW Surf Life Saving Championships from 2026 to 2028 under a new agreement between Lake Macquarie City Council and Surf Life Saving NSW. The announcement was made on 23 July at a gathering of local officials and club representatives at Swansea Belmont Surf Life Saving Club.
Lake Macquarie Mayor Adam Shultz revealed the sponsorship arrangement alongside leaders from Swansea Belmont, Caves Beach and Catherine Hill Bay surf clubs. The event, described as “Commonwealth Games-scale”, is expected to attract nearly 17,000 participants and spectators annually, contributing more than $3 million to the local economy each year.
“The services these clubs provide are integral to our community, not just in terms of water safety and rescue, but for education, social interaction and encouraging physical activity and wellbeing,” Mayor Shultz said.
The championships are set to return to Blacksmiths Beach, which Surf Life Saving NSW Surf Sports Manager Greg Pierce said was highly regarded among athletes. “SLSNSW is excited to bring our showpiece surf sports event back to Blacksmiths Beach and the Lake Macquarie region. In fact, many athletes consider Blacksmiths to be the unofficial home of surf sports,” he said.
Pierce noted that Swansea Belmont has already hosted the championships on three separate occasions since 2000. The next event will run from 14 February to 1 March 2026.
Council’s acting Manager of Community Partnerships, Jacqui Hemsley, said the influx of visitors over the three-year period would bring around 15,500 extra nights and day trips to the region, with potential for future tourism growth.
Alongside the announcement, Council confirmed new 21-year leases for Swansea Belmont and Caves Beach Surf Life Saving Clubs, securing their long-term use of beachside facilities. Work is continuing to finalise similar agreements for Redhead and Catherine Hill Bay clubs.
Mayor Shultz described the lease deals as a “major milestone” in the city’s ongoing support for surf life saving.
newy.com.au - City of Newcastle welcomed the public back inside the Newcastle Art Gallery today, unveiling the first completed spaces of its expansion at the Laman Street site and offering a preview timed to the opening day of the New Annual festival. The partial reopening gives locals an early […]
