Community halls, touched by magic

Binya Community Hall following the upgrading work made possible by a grant from the Community Hall Renewal Fund

Binya Community Hall before the upgrading work was carried out.

A number of community halls are either already benefiting, or are about to benefit, from funding from the Community Hall Renewal Fund.

Among them is Binya Community Hall, which serves a small and isolated community of 182 people in the Shire of Narrandera and is used as a sporting club as well as for church services, bush fire brigade meetings, balls, dances, weddings and other events.

The halls external walls are corrugated iron, there was no shade or shelter on the western side of the building, and temperatures in the hall during the summer were sweltering. It was granted $50,000 from the Fund for air conditioning, upgrades to the power supply, installation of a new septic system, and installation of new tanks and pressure pumps.

Bookings for the hall can be made by calling Jan Evans at the Binya Post Office on 02 6968 3210.

Ladysmith Memorial Hall is the focal meeting place for the residents of Ladysmith, a small community of approximately 200 people in the Wagga Wagga Local Government Area.

Trustees have been granted $20,000 from the Fund to build a covered walkway from the hall to the toilets, which will help shelter hall users from rain and bad weather as well as being used as a BBQ and play area for the playgroup. The money will also go towards other improvements including the installation of air conditioning in the meeting room.

Neville Public Hall Reserve Trust received $5,000 from the Fund to replace an old water tank and guttering to ensure the community hall has a reliable source of water. The hall is used by the school, fire brigade and craft group, as well as being used for weddings and funerals.