A new timber deck and undercover shade sail area are being built on the site of the former Nowra Sailing Club and wharf which was destroyed by fire in June 2017.

Referred to by Shoalhaven City Council as the Nowra Sails project, it is understood this is the first of a series of planned improvements for the area.

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Local firm Jirgens Civil has been awarded the tender and has started initial work on the project on the river's southern bank.

The original wooden wharf and clubhouse building flooring has been removed.

The new deck structure will be 18 metres long (east to west) and 10.5m wide (north to south).

The western side will also feature an additional 1.2m wide ramp for access.

Four main sails will provide shade, while there will be four outrigger type sails on the northern side and three to the south.

They will be held in place by three main poles, seven metres high off the deck and a further six 4.8m high poles.

The redevelopment complements the installation of the permanent floating pontoons and steel gangway as part of a floating pontoon marina development in the middle of last year.

And for all those who complained during the recent flood event that there was no way of knowing how high the actual floodwaters reached, as it was the first flood since the demise of the sailing club building [locals' go-to guide], rest assured the redevelopment will include long-promised flood indicator signs.

Council says interpretive signage for the Nowra Sails project will see the inclusion of aluminium markers indicating flood levels placed at the height of the floodwater with a date.

A council statement said the markers will be located on a central shade sail pole.

"It is also proposed to install interpretive signs on the balustrading," the statement said. "Those signs will include historic pictures and some text of the history of the activities that occurred on the site from early days through to recent times in Nowra."