Community halls 'not commercial entities'

Community halls should not be considered commercial entities, according to Wagstaffe-Killcare Community Association outgoing president Ms Peta Colebatch.

The community needed to watch Central Coast Council's community facilities review to ensure that onerous charges are not placed up them for hall licences, she said.

The association operates a hall successfully with a full range of regular activities during the week and weekend celebrations and community group activities.

She said they did not want council to require expensive additions or to impose a restricted range of licence fees which would significantly affect what the association needed to charge community groups for their use of the hall.

"The hall services us all and it would be a retrograde step to consider it as a commercial undertaking," Ms Colebatch said.

"The hall was built by volunteer labour, its upgrades have been paid for by the community, and volunteers work long and hard to maintain it.

"It should not be considered as a commercial entity by Council."

In September last year the Mayor, Cr Jane Smith, led a decision in council to review how council manages its 280 community facilities comprising halls, neighbourhood centres, senior citizens centres, libraries, child care centres, sporting and surfing clubs.

At the time she said leases, licences and charges had been criticised by community groups so she wanted council to establish a working party to review the situation.

Broader community consultation began in April via council's Have Your Say engagement hub with an online survey open to anyone.

A draft community facilities framework and policy is expected to be presented to Council in late 2019.

SOURCE

Newsletter, 1 June 2019

Peta Colebatch, WTKCA