The Cartwright‘s Hill branch has asked council to waive an onsite sewerage management fee of $207.75 for its Cooramin Street property.

Branch treasurer said the branch had only nine members, aged mostly in their 80s and 90s, and raising the $200 would be difficult.

Already branch members have had the electricity supply to the rooms cut off. 

Instead of meeting in the hall, particularly in winter and summer, the women hold their branch meetings in each others’ homes.

“We could try and run a fundraiser, but it’s a lot of money for a small branch,” treasurer Leola Hull said.

“Last year, we bought a small gas heater and brought our Thermoses with us, but it’s hard when the weather is so cold.”

CWA State president Annette Turner said the issue facing the Cartwrights Hill members was not uncommon, as small branches struggled to with the upkeep of rooms which, in many cases, were decades old.

“But in so many communities, these rooms are so important,” Mrs Turner said.

“In my own branch, the rooms are used by so many other community groups.

“They’re our gathering point in an emergency situation.

“But it is becoming harder and harder to raise the money to maintain them.”

Mrs Turner said many branches were finding that raising the money to look after the branch rooms cut into the amount of money CWA members were able to raise for the organisation’s other projects.

“All of the money the CWA raises goes back into the community. We offer educational grants and do international fundraising,” she said.

“We have branches that have been raising money to help victims of domestic violence, while others have begun making trauma teddies or helping the Salvation Army.

“A lot of branches collect coins for Coins for Friendship, which goes to the Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW) projects to help women in rural communities overseas.”

A recommendation to waive the $207.75 fee will go to Wagga City Council’s meeting on Monday night.