Since January this year, when it was first made public that council intended to buy and demolish the memorial hall, we have had more than 100 very upset residents join our association.

Behind the front facade of the building is a well-maintained and certainly not derelict building.

This is also evident when visiting our website (morissethall.org.au).

Whilst the front facade is not as clean as it should be, one reason is that petrol fumes from the traffic mark the walls.

As well, both the gum tree and the tall bottle brush create continuing problems with their leaves blocking the guttering. These are council trees which the council refuses to prune or remove.

Being a community facility entirely owned and run by volunteers and therefore short of funds (partly because of annual council commercial rates of nearly $8000), we prioritise our maintenance and do not worry about minor cosmetic problems.

The front door is usually shut by hirers to block out the very loud traffic noise and fumes. Most people park out the back and use the back door for access.

We have 80-plus hours of hiring each week.

- Val Badham, Morisset Memorial Hall treasurer and public officer