Golden Plains Shire Council will ask for government assistance to save the Rokewood Uniting Church from sale following an unscheduled meeting on Friday.
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Following an alternate motion moved by Cr Brett Cunningham, council will write to Minister for Regional Development Mary-Anne Thomas requesting the state government to compulsory acquire the property and entrust it back to the Presbyterian Church of Victoria Trusts Corporation for continued use as a church.
The church hit the market late last month with Colac real estate agent Charles Stewart seeking expressions of interest for the 4000-square metre property with the price hoped to be between $425,000 and $465,000.
A report will also be presented to council at its next meeting on Tuesday, April 27 regarding the possibility of placing heritage protections over the church.
The impromptu meeting was called by Mayor Helena Kirby and spurred by community support gathered by petitions both online and on paper.
Cr Kirby said if she did not step up to save the church, it could be lost forever.
"When I was presented with the petition, I then had a think about it and I thought this is too big a community asset to lose," she said.
"Even though I'd been on Facebook myself and I'd shared it around as well, I just thought that this is a beautiful building, I get to look at it every day out of my shop window and just the significance of it is just too great to lose.
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"We know as a council that we cannot take possession over it but we can write to the Minister and ask what her thoughts are about it and see if she can actually do something within her powers to entrust it back to the Presbyterian Church, not to pay for it, but to entrust it back."
Cr Kirby said the church was only being used for Sunday mass once a month and was sitting idle otherwise.
"I think, overall, the committee and the leaders of the church have done a fantastic job in holding it together but I believe that the Uniting Church should have stepped up, they should have got some different things in place and some more actions happening," she said.
"They could have had youth groups happening there, they could have had marriage counseling, it could be open to the public for heritage days.
"These days, you've got to diversify and have different reasons for wanting the church to be open to the public and to see this magnificent architectural work inside the church as well."
Cr Kirby said the community made it clear it did not want to see a profit made on the sale of the church.
"The one thing they're saying to me is no money should change hands, whether it's entrusted back to the state government, it's entrusted back to the Presbyterian Church, under no circumstances because should there be money change hands because the residents of Rokewood built it and have already paid for it," she said.
"The amount of people that come through from around the state to come and visit Rokewood and then to see our beautiful church, they could not believe it."
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