AFTER four years of dedicated service, lead volunteers Sam and Kristi Petrassi have officially stepped down from their roles on the Talarm Hall Committee, prompting a call for fresh faces to help shape the future of the iconic community facility.
At the recent Annual General Meeting, held on 13 October, only five people were in attendance, including Council representatives, and no nominations were received for the vacant committee positions.
With no new volunteers stepping forward, the future of the hall is now uncertain.
Nambucca Valley Council General Manager Bede Spannagle commended the contributions of the outgoing committee and acknowledged the significance of Talarm Hall in the community.
“Talarm Hall has been managed by its community for several decades through a Section 355 Committee of Council,” he said.
“A Section 355 Committee of Council occurs through negotiation when at least three or more residents wish to volunteer to manage a community asset of Council to the benefit of their community and I would like to acknowledge the great work done by Sam and Kristi Petrassi, who have just retired from the Talarm Hall Committee, as well as Brian Liddell who has assisted by maintaining its grounds.”
Mr Spannagle detailed that if no interest is shown, Council will have to look at alternative options for managing the hall or closing it down.
“I grew up attending dances and parties here and the walls are clad with beautiful quilts and old photographs, sharing the stories of local families,” Mrs Petrassi said, reflecting on the deep community ties to Talarm Hall.
“Historically, this has been such a community-based area where people knew each other, said ‘hello’, and leaned on each other.
“People would come together and meet at the hall just to have a cup of tea and be together.”
She also acknowledged the challenges of recent years for the small committee of putting on bush dances and other events, finding attendance was not as high as they had hoped.
“Without more helping hands, we three volunteers decided we could not continue managing the hall on our own,” Mrs Petrassi said.
Located on the corner of Talarm and Rhones Creek roads, Talarm Hall has long been a meeting point and cultural hub for the local community.
Council’s Community Development Officer Jocelyn Box will host a drop-in session at Talarm Hall on Wednesday 12 November from 4pm to 6pm to hear from residents about their ideas for the hall’s future.
She can also be contacted on 6568 2555 or via council@nambucca.nsw.gov.au.
Expressions of interest for joining the committee or proposing alternative uses for the hall are due by 30 November 2025.
The future of Talarm Hall now rests in the hands of the community it has long served.
By Mick BIRTLES
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