The Guides were expected to vacate the hall last year, however COVID-19 considerations have been responsible for the delay in the Guides transferring to the new multi-purpose facility.
According to Campaspe Shire Council’s redevelopment plan, Echuca East Hall was supposed to have been demolished in December last year.
Echuca Girl Guides unit leader Rachel Sutton said she was still waiting on an official date for the move.
“It’s all very much in the air.”
Ms Sutton said the Guides now expected to fully inspect the new multi-purpose facility for the first time on March 1.
“We were supposed to use it for the first time on Tuesday, February 15, but because of COVID it’s created some delays on the project,” she said.
“Every time we’ve planned for a date, something has happened.”
Echuca Girl Guides will be staying at the historic Echuca East Hall, in the back corner of the Echuca East precinct, until they are informed that their new home is ready.
“It’s a half-packed-up-hall scenario at the moment,” Ms Sutton said.
She said she would be notifying the council that she would not be able to move the group until at least April due to a series of events that had already been planned by the Guides for March.
“There’s already so much happening in that month that it’s just going to be impossible to move around then,” Ms Sutton said.
“I reckon by the start of term two, that’s when we will probably be moved across to the new facility.”
Ms Sutton said the Guides weren’t feeling too distressed by the move as it was a completely new unit with new members.
“They have the attitude of ‘wherever we are, we will make it work’ — which is the right attitude to have.”
Ms Sutton said past Guides within the community tended to have more of a sentimental attachment to Echuca East Hall.
“The older Guide community do get sad every time the move is brought up.
“We’ve just got to look at it as what is best for us in the long term,” Ms Sutton said.
“We are moving into a building where we have one lot of fees, so we won’t have to worry about getting other community groups in to help cover the costs of the building. We also won’t need to pay for a cleaner as that’s going to be sorted by the council.”
The Campaspe Shire Council website indicates that the new community facility will offer recreational activities and services such as Guides, after-school care, school holiday programs, dog obedience classes, dog events, quilting and community radio.
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