00:02There were scones, sandwiches and plenty of tea poured, but this was no ordinary morning tea.
00:09Members of the QCWA in Koolangatta celebrated their hall being added to the Heritage Register.
00:16It was so exciting for all of us. It's something that we'd talked about for many years.
00:21Since 1937, the modest building has been at the heart of the community,
00:25hosting meetings, helping families in tough times and bringing women together.
00:30But in recent years, the beachfront timber-framed hall has attracted a lot of interest from developers.
00:37They were very pushy, wanting to buy out us and our land and the Pink Hotel next door.
00:44And they already had plans drawn up for a multi-storey, 15-storey high-rise.
00:48Council also pushed back to protect the site.
00:51We don't mind development. We have to have development.
00:54But there's some buildings that we need to keep and we need to recognise their heritage.
00:59And that's what our local Heritage Register does.
01:01While the listing is a big win for the branch, heritage experts warn the protection isn't permanent.
01:07Future owners could still apply to relocate or even demolish this hall,
01:12meaning its long-term future remains uncertain.
01:15Unless there's no other prudent and feasible alternative to the demolition,
01:20one would expect that that hall will be on that site for a very long time.
01:23A much-loved community hub standing firm.
01:26A much-loved community hub standing firm.
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