Grassroots not-for-profit National Surfing Reserves, a tireless advocate of recognising and protecting Australia’s most beloved community beaches, has marked its 20th anniversary as it launches a partnership with Reflections Holidays with a view to expanding its footprint.

Founded in 2005 by a small group of ocean-loving, professional volunteers dedicated to supporting communities who strive to preserve the Australian coastline, NSR has 19 beaches listed on its national Reserves list (including Merewether, Crescent Head, Bondi and Noosa) and four on its regional list (including Bogangar-Cabarita and Fishery Bay).

Reflections executive Pete Chapman said the three-year partnership between NSR and Reflections –   a Crown Land manager which reinvests profit back into the 40 holiday parks it manages in NSW and the 47 community reserves in its care – would strengthen the work both organisations do to support community groups with a passion for the environment, from surf life-saving clubs to landcare groups.

Under the partnership, Reflections and the NSR will support the ongoing establishment of Reserves, with local parks encouraged to consider applying for Reserve status.

“Reflections holiday parks can be found alongside some of the best beach breaks in New South Wales including Byron Bay and Lennox Head, the latter already being recognised on the National Surfing Reserves list,” Mr Chapman said.

“We admire the work that NSR does to recognise the role iconic beaches play in connecting communities, and our organisations share the same ethos of knowing that life’s better outside and understanding how nature brings so many benefits to us all.”

As the NRS board met to celebrate 20 years of operations at Merewether Surf Life Saving Club this weekend, its chair Brad Whittaker said that the new partnership with Reflections would strengthen the work both were doing in their respective communities, with the possibility of adding other iconic beach locations to the NSR national or regional list.

“We’ve signed a three-year partnership with Reflections and as a part of that we’ll certainly look to not just showcase our NSR reserves on some of their platforms but also encourage the ongoing establishment of Reserves in consultation with their park managers and communities,” he said.

“We’ll also be encouraging local parks to work with their communities and consider applying for Reserve status, a symbolic acknowledgement that the local community wants to promote the intrinsic benefits of that location, in doing so uniting local stakeholders with a shared love for the destination.”