Temporary reprieve for Wamberal Memorial Hall

Wamberal Memorial HallWamberal Memorial Hall was used as a polling booth for the July 2 Federal Election

The future of the Wamberal Memorial Hall appears to be a little more certain following recent steps taken by Central Coast Council to review its status as a community asset.

According to an article on the Wamberal Community Group’s website: “In a stunning turn of events, the general counsel at the new Central Coast Council, Mr Brian Glendenning, has found that the previous Gosford Council had no power to change Wamberal Memorial Hall from community land, that cannot be sold, to operational land that can be sold.

“In 1994, in a simply staggering decision, Gosford Council resolved that the Wamberal Memorial Hall, park and playground should be classified as operational land,” the article said. “That decision was simply wrong. “Operational land is for Council depots, sewerage plants and the like. “Just why Gosford Council resolved that the Wamberal Memorial Hall, park and playground more closely resembled a works depot or sewage plant than it did a community facility will forever remain a mystery,” the article said. Mr Richard Wells, spokesperson for the Wamberal Community Group said he had been contacted by the council’s heritage offi cer, Ms Rebecca Cardy, to organise a visit to the hall and a meeting with the hall’s management committee.

Mr Wells said the hall was used every day for meetings, dance schools and for other community activities. “It needs maintenance, the guttering needs work and there are some little maintenance jobs,” he said. Mr Wells said he was looking forward to the meeting with Ms Cardy, the council’s heritage architect and members of the Wamberal Memorial Hall committee to discuss the future of the community facility. “So for the time being, Wamberal Memorial Hall has been saved from immediate demolition thanks to the hard work of the general counsel of the new Central Coast Council,” he said.

Website, Jul 13, 2016 Wamberal Community Group Interview, Jul 22, 2016 Richard Wells, Wamberal Community Group Jackie Pearson, journalist