The future of the Wingatui Community Hall looks more certain following a community meeting in the hall last night.
About 50 people, including Dunedin city councillor Syd Brown and Mosgiel Taieri Community Board chairman Barry Barbour, attended the meeting aimed at rallying more community support for the facility.
Hall committee chairman Russell McIntosh began the meeting by outlining the facility's financial situation.
He said the hall was not used much, other than to accommodate the local bowling club and the occasional wedding function.
The Dunedin City Council held the $41,000 mortgage on the 30-year-old building, and although the hall committee was managing to pay its insurance and power overheads, it was beginning to struggle with paying its rates.
To add to the committee's financial difficulties, the council had asked for the mortgage to be repaid.
Committee member Bruce McCrorie said the present committee had reached its "end point", and if the hall was going to stay afloat, a new committee needed to be formed to drive it forward.
"We need new people, new ideas, and a bit of enthusiasm to drive them through."
Cr Brown agreed, but said the Wingatui community also needed to band together to support the facility.
"The DCC can't afford to support lemons. The community needs to use its hall or lose it.
"If they get behind the hall and support it, I'm confident I can get the DCC on side and work out a satisfactory arrangement for repaying the loan."
Those at the meeting came up with many ideas to market the hall, and a show of hands among those gathered indicated 11 people were prepared to be part of a new committee.
