An Interim Report to Members
26 May 2008
The Association has around 75 members - families, individuals, businesses, and other community organizations. We hope to get more.
- The Association performs a number of functions:
- Advocacy and representation of residents in relation to a wide range of planning, development, heritage and environmental issues.
- Advocacy in relation to the provision of government services.
- Custodianship and management of the Hall Showground Pavilion.
- Informing the community about local issues, events, and personalities – through the 'Rural Fringe' newsletter, and this website.
- Organising or helping to organize a range of community social activities.
- Through our 'Bootstrap Brigade', organizing or undertaking repairs and maintenance in and around the village.
- Acting as an 'umbrella group' for a number of other community associations – our affiliated organizational members.
When there are issues of widespread community interest and concern the Association will normally convene a public meeting to provide information and gather views of community members.
This Interim Report is to let you know what the Association has been doing, and to encourage you to become engaged in these activities.
The Annual General Meeting of the Association will be on Wednesday 6th August at 7.30 pm in the Pavilion. Please aim to attend, and support your Association.
Hall community website
One major initiative has been the creation of a Hall and district community website. Initial development costs were met by a grant from the Rotary Club of Hall -gratefully recognized as the sponsor of the site. Hall resident and Member Bill Pearson has given the Association extensive help and advice in getting the site up and running. The site is conceived and managed as a community service for Hall and district people and organizations.
Having successfully applied for the 'Community Geographic Domain Name' www.hall.act.au, we now a have a prized address and are on the national database of community websites.
Currently the site includes a Directory of Hall and district businesses, an Events Calendar, local News, a Document file, and useful Links to other sites. It is also designed to be an administrative tool for the Association, holding the database of members.
Further developments are anticipated, including a Photo Gallery, and we would like to hear from anyone with particular suggestions – or who can help with site management. The site is robust and easy to manage by anyone with basic computer skills.
Planning and development
The Association has continued its role as a representative body in relation to planning and development issues, taking issues to the Minister, local members, and to ACT Planning and Land Management. Prominent amongst these has been the Victoria Square saga, now in its seventh year. The Association was party to the developer's unsuccessful Administrative Appeals Tribunal hearing in 2006 and has since been trying to ensure that the required reconstruction work is completed expeditiously.
On the more strategic front we have actively engaged in the review of the Territory Plan, with the aim of ensuring that the main provisions of the Hall Master Plan and the heritage listing are preserved. While the Hall Master Plan as such has now been abandoned, the provisions of the Heritage listing have been retained.
School site
The Association has been actively engaged with the fate of Hall Primary School since the closure decision was announced in 2006, and is again busy dealing with the latest announcements. We have conducted a survey, had public meetings, and participated fully in the community consultations in 2007. The Government will shortly be consulting with us about refurbishment plans ($1.5 million allocated to Hall) and future community uses; the ACT Liberals will be consulting with the community about their plan to re-open the school if elected to Government in October. The community is kept informed on this, and other issues, by regular news items on the website.
'Bootstrap Brigade'
The motto of the Bootstrap Brigade is 'Just Do It!' The Association has a long and proud history of getting jobs done or things fixed up in the public spaces around the village. Bob Richardson and Helen White now coordinate this 'self-help' activity, and projects are carried out by the Bootstrap Brigade – that is, whoever we can get to come along and help! Bridge painting, tree planting, village walk track maintenance, getting new chairs for the pavilion, 'Clean up Hall' day – all examples of the 'BB' in action.
Sheep Dog Trials
After a 'trial run' last year, the Association made a more significant commitment to working with the National Sheep Dog Trials Association. We put extra funding into a special issue of the 'Rural Fringe' to be handed out at the gate, and organized a BBQ/ Band night for the participants and community members. Local garage band West Texas Crude blew the roof off the Pavilion and a great night was had by all.
School Museum (Laurie Copping Heritage Centre)
School closure has put the future of the Museum at risk. We have lobbied for its protection, and more recently submitted an application for a Heritage Grant to enable employment of an 'Interpreter / Custodian'. The Museum's collection is a valuable local heritage resource which can be built on, promoted, and made more accessible to all. Whether or not the application is successful, we are planning the establishment of 'Friends of the School House Museum' to help secure the Museum's future. We are keen to hear from anyone with an interest in the rural history and heritage of the Hall district.
Meanwhile if you want to contact us about any of the matters reported here you can:
Contact President Alastair Crombie by phone (6230 2977) or
Use Contact Us on the website
Approach any member of the Committee:
- Alastair Crombie
- Tony Morris
- Greg Hayes
- Bob Richardson
- Elaine Leckey
- Anna Sheargold
- Jo Hall
- Helen White
- Brian Banyard
Write to us at: VHDPA, PO Box 43, Hall ACT 2618
Alastair Crombie
President