Nearly five years after flames tore through its Jamieson Park clubhouse and destroyed much of its fleet, Narrabeen Lakes Sailing Club has been given the green light for a new home beside the lagoon.
The $5.34 million community water sports facility will return the club to a purpose-built base at Jamieson Park, with expanded boat storage, club rooms, public amenities and a café overlooking Narrabeen Lagoon. Northern Beaches Local Planning Panel approved DA2026/0489 on 16 September, bringing the rebuild through a planning process that followed years of consultation and design work after the November 2021 fire.
Sailing Carried On After The Fire
The blaze on 27 November 2021 left large sections of the former building badly damaged and destroyed 24 boats stored inside. Fourteen belonged to the club and another 10 to members, while two motorised safety boats, spare parts and other equipment were also lost. About 30 firefighters responded as parts of the roof and walls collapsed. The destruction ended the club’s roughly 40-year occupation of the building, but not its time on the water.
Other Sydney sailing clubs stepped in with loan boats, while donated vessels helped replace part of the lost fleet. Members, volunteers and supporters kept activities going while the club waited for a permanent replacement. The timing was particularly difficult for its junior sailing program. About 30 children had enrolled in learn-to-sail classes for the 2021–22 summer, and the club had about 120 members when the fire struck. Donated Opti sailing boats were among the vessels later provided to help lessons continue.
A New Base Beside Narrabeen Lagoon
The replacement will be broader than a traditional clubhouse. Approved plans provide increased storage for boats and equipment, club rooms and areas for model boats and dragon boats. Public toilets and an ancillary café are also planned, with the café opening onto a covered verandah overlooking the lagoon.
Earlier consultation material included improved access to the water and separate amenities for sporting groups and the public, allowing the building to cater for recreational use beyond the sailing club. Getting to the approved design has taken several years. NBC sought feedback on the replacement facility after the fire and released further plans for public consultation in 2024 before the formal development application was lodged on 21 April 2026.
The proposal went on exhibition from 11 May to 8 June and drew numerous submissions, including one from Narrabeen Lakes Sailing Club. NBC records also document assessments covering flooding, traffic, biodiversity, landscaping, bushfire and waterways before the planning panel gave its approval.
Rebuild Still Two Years Away
Approval does not mean an immediate return to Jamieson Park. Construction is expected to begin in late 2027 and take about 12 months, putting completion in 2028. The latest timetable is considerably later than the one outlined during consultation in 2024, when a late-2025 construction start had been anticipated.
By the time the new building is completed, more than six years will have passed since the fire destroyed the club’s former home — years in which sailing continued on Narrabeen Lagoon without the facilities lost that night.
Published 25-September-2026
