In the 1980’s the Tuross Head community built themselves a hall. The Kyla Hall. They bought and laid every brick and stood proud of what they made. It was a cricket hall, a rugby hall, a sailing hall and a community hall. It cost Council nothing. In time however Council took the hall over as rugby, sailing and cricket went quiet. But Council forgot to do the necessary due diligence and the hall fell into such disrepair it was all but condemned because of a massive termite infestation that came about because Council failed to have inspections done. The Tuross Head community were well and truly p*ssed off at Council and doubly so when Council moved to underhandedly sell the other Tuross Head community funded and built hall at Jutland Avenue. The Council thought that they could raise revenue by selling the old hall but soon discovered they didn’t own it. The sale went through though and the community agreed to redirect $200000 from the sale to refurbish the termite ridden Kyla Hall and bring it up to standard. There has been no acceptance of responsibility nor any apology by Council and they have been duly annoyed that the community discovered it owned the old hall and that Council’s intended sale/plunder for consolidated revenue was discovered. Arrive at 2017 and we have the Tuross Head progress Association now paying to hold its monthly meetings in the refurbished Kyla Hall even though they donated $200,000 towards its refurbishment. Arrive at the long weekend of October 2017 and you will also find that the Tuross Head Mens Shed, hosting a community event of its Model Exhibition has to pay $600 plus to hire the hall for a community fundraising event.. The Tuross Head Progress Association earlier this year appealed to the Council and Councillors to give them exemption of paying an hourly fee to hold their monthly meetings in a hall. Even though the Tuross Head Progress Association donated 100% of the profits of their land sales back to the community the small minded councilors disrespectfully refused to listen to public speakers who outlined the history of the halls and the major contribution made by the community of funding and building these halls. Bring it up to today and we see the Tuross Mens Shed, with their required $20 million Pubic Liability Insurance, host a model exhibition for the community. A gold coin entry will hopefully return all profits to our local Moruya Hospital Auxilliary after paying over $600 in hall rental to a grubby handwringing Council. Did the outrageous rental taint the occasion? No. Not at all for the many visitors, the parents, the children, the young and young at heart. Were they aware of how small and narrow minded and how grubby the local Council was demanding their pound of flesh of which they have no right to claim of a hall that they did not build. A hall which they so poorly maintained to a point where it was all-but condemned. The Tuross Head community have put up with the indifference of Councillors and the indifferent 2017-18 Council Fees and Charges however this weekend saw the issue bought to a head like a pustulating boil and sadly that boil sits squarely on the arse of this council and its councillors should hang their heads in shame. Forgo the rental councillors. You can do it and you should. Well done to the Tuross Head Mens Shed. It was a terrific exhibition and very much enjoyed by all who attended. Your efforts, your organizing, and your generosity that all the proceeds are to go to the Moruya Hospital Auxiliary is well noted. A great volunteer effort that bought together a much appreciated community event for the community. We hope that Council will over turn the HUGE rental they have charged you to use a community hall for a community fundraiser.
