A member of the Wingatui Community Hall Society who was expelled after a dispute last year has been made the society's first life member.
The decision to appoint Brian Isaac as life member was made at the society's latest AGM, which also detailed that six new heat pumps had been installed in the previous financial year in an effort to make the hall warmer.
It marks a turnaround for Mr Isaac, who was at the centre of conflict over the hall's finances while he served as treasurer and was last March expelled from its committee and membership for at least five years. He has been re-appointed since then and now serves as secretary.
President Mike McNulty said there was no longer any conflict in the society.
''All that's solved. We are fundraising and the committee is working as it should again. The old committee is completely gone,'' he said.
Mr Isaac had been chosen as the first life member because of the huge amount of work he had put into the hall over the years - which, in recent times, included applying for grants to buy the six heat pumps.
He said all the allegations previously levelled against Mr Isaac were unfounded.
The society was still in negotiations with the council over a $40,000 debt it had with the council against the society's property.
