Remedial action needed to keep 122-year-old Montville Hall standing

Montville Village Association President Wayne Parcell says the local hall is a precious treasure that needs some attention. “... we are trying to cover increasing costs of insurance, maintenance and management of the hall”.

Minor excavation works are currently underway at Montville Village Hall as part of critical repairs to preserve the structural integrity of the much-loved community hub.

Long-standing drainage issues have led to water flowing past and underneath the hall, compromising the front corner’s foundations. Montville Village Association President Wayne Parcell PSM said the works had identified a need for urgent remedial action.

“We need to take some remedial action to direct the flow of storm water away from the hall to minimise the impact on the hall foundations,” Mr Parcell said.

Over time, rising ground levels have brought earth into direct contact with the hall timbers, compounding the problem. Damaged cladding timbers will also be replaced during the repair program.

“Our village hall is a precious treasure that requires care and attention,” Mr Parcell said. “It has stood for more than 100 years and will continue to stand proudly for so long as we all stand with it.”

Mr Parcell said the Association took seriously its role as caretakers of the community asset.

“In these tough economic times we recognise that many people are under cost pressure, and that is reflected in the comments made to me about the cost of renting the village hall,” he said. “Our costs are rising too, and we are trying to cover increasing costs of insurance, maintenance and management of the hall.   This means that some hiring propositions put to us are just not viable.  We rely on our dedicated volunteers to help us keep the hall and our community activities going, and we are always looking for greater levels of community support so that we can try to meet community expectations.” 

“We will not see our community asset compromised by commercial interests who might seek to bully and intimidate us into bending to their will,” he said. “We need to be vigilant to the claims by self-interested parties ... who seek to encroach upon it for personal gain.  

“We are alert to the self-serving claims that are made from time to time that a particular activity or action will benefit the community when the real gains are private profit with no genuine regard for our community or its assets.  If you would like to make a donation or a bequest to help with the preservation of the hall, or you would like to volunteer, please reach out to secretary.mva@gmail.com”

The heritage-listed hall remains a focal point for local events. A recent trivia night, dubbed “La Triviata”, drew almost 100 enthusiastic locals, raising funds for the hall’s upkeep.

“The joy of the occasion was the community spirit evident in the event,” Mr Parcell said.