Ashley Hall Committee representatives and Moree Plains Shire Council staff, from left, Victoria Girard, Fiona Kennedy, Mayor Susannah Pearse, Jess Cobb and Corporate Strategy and Reporting Officer Alice Gemmell-Smith. Image supplied.
Moree Plains Shire Council will provide Community Hall Committees with up to $10,000 each year to help pay for basic repairs and maintenance.
Council resolved to introduce the annual allocation following a Mayoral Minute tabled at its Ordinary Council Meeting on Thursday, August 20.
Under the arrangement, each eligible Hall Committee will receive $5,000 upfront each year once its annual reporting requirements have been received and accepted by Council. A further $5,000 will be available upon application.
Funding will begin immediately for committees that have met the reporting requirements.
Council said the decision followed a recent visit to Garah and Ashley, where councillors met residents and discussed the needs of their communities.
Mayor Susannah Pearse said community halls played an important role in villages across the shire.
“Our Community Halls are so very important to the livability of our towns and villages, playing host to everything from playgroups to weddings and Anzac Day services,” Cr Pearse said.
“They are run by generous volunteers who care deeply about these facilities and their importance to their community.
“This decision is about empowering those local volunteers to address minor repairs before they become larger problems, helping to keep our community hall functional and welcoming.”
Council acknowledged Ashley Hall committee member Fiona Kennedy and Weemelah Hall committee member Libby McPhee, who spoke in support of the proposal.
Council said some community halls may still require larger works and investment in the future, but the annual allocation would provide committees with funding for ongoing smaller maintenance needs.
