THE Nambucca Senior Citizens Committee (Nambucca Seniors) has hit back at suggestions the club did not investigate all options before listing Ivey Pacey House in Nambucca Heads for sale.

“I find it offensive to be told that this doesn’t pass the pub test,” Nambucca Seniors Secretary Vera Nichols told NOTA, responding to comments by the region’s Federal and State MPs.

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“Saying that we haven’t tried is an insult,” she added.

As previously reported in NOTA, the Nambucca Senior Citizens Centre in Kent Street, Nambucca Heads has been listed for sale with a local real estate agent.

The building is the club’s only asset.

Ms Nichols said Nambucca Seniors takes its role in providing for seniors in the area very seriously and that the potential sale of its clubhouse would not affect those efforts.

Both Oxley MP Michael Kemp and Cowper MP Pat Conaghan as well as Nambucca Mayor Gary Lee and Councillor David Jones have spoken out against the proposed sale, particularly on the grounds that Ivey Pacey, after whom the building is named, would not have been happy with the sale.

A public meeting to discuss the matter has been called for 6pm on Monday, 9 December at the Nambucca RSL.

Ms Nichols reached out to NOTA complaining that “a lot of misinformation” surrounds Nambucca Seniors and its club house.

She also wanted to set the record straight on the involvement of Ivey Pacey in the building’s purchase back in 1994.

“[Nambucca] Seniors is not shutting down; just trying to use the assets to continue to provide for its members,” she told NOTA.

Ms Nichols explained that a lack of community involvement over the past three years has resulted in a reduced budget to pay ever-increasing costs associated with running the hall.

“We can no longer pay for internet or a phone at Seniors,” Ms Nichols said.

“We are required to pay all bills, rates, insurance, fire inspections, cleaning, mowing, electricity, water, and all other bits and pieces that renting [out] a venue requires.”

Ms Nichols detailed costs in excess of $10,000-$12,000 yearly to keep the property running and said the demand for rentable public spaces in Nambucca Heads was not sufficient for it to earn this sum.

“Other organisations were approached (in the past) but no (financial) commitment to help was made and in 2023 the committee had a meeting with the Council at which the proposal to sell the property and allow Seniors to continue in a different format was put forward.

“Council even offered to help with the sale,” she asserted, producing documents to support this claim.

These documents, from 2023, showed that Nambucca Valley Council asked the club to repay the amount originally put forward by Council so these funds could be used to “support other community groups”, and stated that “council’s offer to assist with the sale process remains open to you”.

Ms Nichols said the group has been very active over the years, providing a variety of regular events including craft, bingo and carpet bowls as well as a weekly hot lunch for members.

As for the role of the Nambucca woman after whom the building is named, Ms Nichols believes Ivey Pacey was simply a volunteer who was heavily involved in fundraising.

It was previously reported that Ivey Pacey donated the building to Council in 1984 and that Council signed the premises over to the club in 2013 for the nominal fee of $1.

Ms Nichols told NOTA she wanted to clarify some of these details.

“In 1994 the Council and Seniors purchased a house in Kent Street for the use as a centre for seniors to meet.

“The cost of the purchase and the building of a hall came to $221,000,” she explained.

“[Nambucca] Seniors’ part of the purchase was $141,000 which was met by $50,000 cash that they had managed to accumulate by selling craft, bricks, cakes etc.

“$91,000 was a loan from Council which had an interest rate of 11 percent.

“This left a shortfall of $80,000 which Council put towards the purchase and the property was placed in Nambucca Valley Council’s name.”

According to Ms Nichols, in 2013 Council proposed signing the building over to the Nambucca Seniors, likely to save money on the cost of maintaining it.

She said Nambucca Seniors already owned 66 percent of the property and it was agreed to do the transfer at the nominal sum of $1.

In 2014 the change of name was completed but the building was never the property of Ivey Pacey, Ms Nichols maintains.

Edna Stride, a councillor with Nambucca Shire during the period the clubhouse was purchased, told NOTA she believed Ivey Pacey had donated a large amount of money to assist the club in making the purchase in 1994.

NOTA has been unable to locate anyone else who is able to discuss the exact details of Ms Pacey’s involvement on the project 30 years ago.

Despite Councillor David Jones receiving a hand-written letter from Ms Nichols dated 18 September 2024 declining his application for new membership of Nambucca Seniors and claiming that the club had decided “not to accept any new member until further notice”, Ms Nichols said the club is open to accepting new members.

She did however express concern that an influx of new members would bring increased costs in supplying tea, coffee and amenities at regular meet-ups.

She said Cr Jones’ application had actually been refused because his behaviour was considered deceptive and it was believed he had only applied because he wanted to stop the sale of the clubhouse.

As for what could come out of the upcoming public meeting, Ms Nichols said it “would be great if financial support can be offered in one form or another”.

By Ned COWIE