SEVEN-TIME world surfing champion Layne Beachley is confident Surfing Australia's multi-million dollar High Performance Centre expansion can create a gold rush for the 2020 Olympics and beyond.

The surfing Australia chairperson was on hand with World Tour professional Bede Durbidge, up-and-coming Tweed superstar Zahli Kelly and dignitaries at the Casuarina based centre on Tuesday to turn the first sod of soil on the $6 million upgrade.

With surfing set to make its Olympics debut in 2020, Beachley said the major expansion would set Australia up for sustained success in Tokyo and beyond.

"It (expansion) signals the turning of the tide for this organisation. We're going to go to a benchmark facility we anticipate is going to bring home a whole host of gold medals in the future," she said.

"We are confident that we will be ensuring athletes are provided with the opportunities for success."

Works on the project - generated by $2.536 million in funding through the Federal Government's Building Better Regions Fund, and $3 million from the NSW Government - begin on Wednesday and are expected to be completed in July, 2018.

New facilities will include underground parking for 18 vehicles, a bigger and better AIS Aerial Surf Skate Training Facility, an improved and expanded world class gymnasium, 100 seat auditoriums, expanded treatment facilities, and 11 new accommodation rooms.

The centre will also be recognised as a New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) National Training Centre, and an Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) recognised training facility.

"This exceptional new facility is a very exciting development for Australian surfing and the prospects of those athletes that will be a part of the Australian Olympic Team in years to come," said AOC CEO Matt Carroll.

"We are certain that the facility will help nurture our already talented athletes into genuine medal contenders for Tokyo 2020 and beyond."

One of those athletes in the frame to represent Australia at Olympic level is Tweed 13-year-old Zahli Kelly, who is already the number one ranked junior surfer in Oceania.

Kelly, who will ramp up her air, balance and strength training at the expanded centre, said having the opportunity to train at the world class facility in her own backyard would be invaluable.

While Olympic selection criteria hasn't been formalised, Beachley said it was realistic that Australia could win both men's and women's gold at the Tokyo Games and into the future.

"This is an incredibly exciting time for surfing, to be not only expanding the HPC, but to be recognised as an Olympic sport," she said.

"There's been a lot of critics of what it will do to the sport of surfing, but we're embracing it whole-heartedly because it's opening up a world of opportunities."

Beachley said the new centre would also allow Surfing Australia to build the future generation of superstars, at Olympic and world level, and that the weight of expectation would fit well with surfing's prospective Olympians.

"We're not only future proofing for Olympics, but for world championships as well," she said.

"Australia has dominated world surfing for years and we seem to have lost that a bit, especially on the men's side. So we want to get back to where we belong and that's on top."