A report tendered to council last month showed that between 1997 and 2002, requests were received from community hall committees across the Shire expressing concerns about high insurance and maintenance costs and the relatively small number of volunteers.

As a result council agreed to allow five local halls to become committees of council - Smithtown, Willawarrin, Frederickton, Bellbrook and South West Rocks.

The plan would supposedly allow each of the hall committees to be covered by council’s public liability insurance, rather than each fund their own policies.

Council would also be able to insure the hall buildings by obtaining ownership or trusteeship in them.

However, due to complications, the transfer of trusteeships did not occur, and in December last year council was told it would have to go through the Department of Lands to finalise the agreements.

Now the Department of Lands has revealed it will be some time before full trusteeship is approved.

Meanwhile, council’s insurer Statewide Mutual has confirmed it will continue to cover the halls under council’s current policy, however, Statewide will not cover incorporated bodies, a category that Willawarrin Hall unfortunately falls under.

As such the hall has no insurance and committee president Bill Fenby has been forced to close the facility to public use.

Willawarrin has been quoted $3000 for public liability and property cover – money the hall committee does not have – twice the cost it was when council agreed to take over the property.

At last month’s meeting of council Mr Fenby made an impassioned plea for council to help raise the money to keep the hall open.

“Three weeks ago we found out we had no access to insurance,” Mr Fenby said.

“Insurance is being paid, but it’s insurance we can’t use.

“We would gladly transfer our titles to council, but it’s going to take six weeks.

“We’re willing to sign it over but we require insurance to carry on normal business.”

Mayor John Bowell said council owed it to the Willawarrin community to help foot the insurance bill.

“They’re in this predicament because of council’s negligence to a point,” he said.

“What’s happened in here since 2002?

“It’s my concern that nothing’s happened. This report suggests we agreed to do something.”

In the short term council general manager Allan Burgess has been granted responsibility to investigate insurance options for each of the five halls.

Subsequently, a report will be brought before council early in 2009 commenting on the condition of each facility and the liability of a council takeover.