The Dubbo branch of the Country Women's Association (CWA) has listed its Wingewarra Street property on the market as it looks to position itself for the future.
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The property that has served as a hub of community life for more than 50 years will go to auction on March 26 and is located within the commercial zone.
The CWA Dubbo branch will continue to operate with branch president Barbara Barrett telling of their plans to expand their support to community projects when freed from the upkeep of the property.
"We do want to stress we are not closing the branch," she said.
"The branch will continue to fundraise as normal but instead of most of these proceeds going to the maintenance of the rooms, they will be directed to go back into the community.
"We hope to increase our contributions to medical research, the local community and school prizes, among others."
Once the venue for balls and dances and known to many in Dubbo as the baby health rooms in former times, the property has been home to two CWA branches, as well as CWA Macquarie group meetings and functions.
It has also been available for hire and the photos on its walls hint at the social occasions held there in the past.
Built in the 1950s, CWA Macquarie group president Kathie Carolan said it was becoming harder and harder to maintain ageing buildings.
"Even though an iconic building of Dubbo is being sold we anticipate it will be a good thing for the members because they are finding it difficult to raise the funds to maintain the property as it should be," Mrs Carolan said.
"We have more than 100 branches across the state that don't own rooms and those branches are thriving because they don't have overheads, as will Dubbo branch.
"(The day of the auction) will be an emotional day, the members will be able to think of the good times and look toward the future.
"Any volunteer organisations that do have rooms are finding it difficult to maintain the ageing buildings with new regulations such as WHS (workplace health and safety), which was not around in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s."
Mrs Barrett said the branch had been considering the move for more than 12 months, and once a decision was made, then there was a CWA protocol that needed to be followed.
"Through the CWA protocol, the branch can apply for up to 50 per cent of the sale proceeds to come back to use for community projects," she said.
"This is generous compared with some organisations where the total proceeds of a sale go to their head office."
The property is being marketed as the "best opportunity in many years to purchase such a large and prime corner redevelopment site in the heart of Dubbo's CBD".
Listing agent Andrew McDonald said he expected and was receiving good interest.
"We've had more than a dozen interested parties already and some requests for further information," he said.
"It's mainly very much local at the moment, and a couple from out of town.
"There is a wide array of potential uses."