Owners have until 5pm on Thursday, November 30 to respond to a council demolition order due to structural and safety concerns. A school bus stop under the pub’s front awning was moved and fenced off following a partial collapse. 

The pub has been vacant and unused for nearly 10 years as ongoing stoushes over redevelopment plans between the builders and council escalated to hearings in the NSW Land and Environment Court. 

The pub’s owners, a company named ACN 143008557, is made up of four members; builder and businessman Bruce Maples, Merril Stever, Patrick Campbell and Robert Dallizia.

Speaking to The Daily Advertiser on Wednesday, Mr Maples said that he “would be down in a heartbeat” if a conciliation meeting could be organised with Coolamon Shire Council General Manager Tony Donoghue to “get this matter sorted once and for all and fix the pub.”

Mr Donoghue has also indicated a desire to have the matter resolved in the hope the pub can be one day be reopened for the community.

“The Farmers Home Hotel is extremely important for the Matong community and we would like nothing better than to see it back in operation.

“This is new information having Mr Maples wanting to meet, but we would be happy to sit down to try and find a way forward,” Mr Donoghue said.

Following Coolamon Shire Council’s agreement to the meeting, Mr Maples said he will contact his structural engineer from Albury’s SJE Consulting to make a date to meet with council next week.

“Look, this has been going on for far too long. We want to fix the pub, but there’s been that much obstruction,” Mr Maples said.

Mr Maples said they bought the Farmers Home Hotel for “about $50,000” after a fire in January 2008 which caused major damage to the roof and first floor and forced the pub to remain closed.

Disagreements over engineering reports, water seepage into the pub, road and curb maintenance, repair work without council approval, and an eventual stalemate has resulted in a demolition order being made which could see the building permanently destroyed.

The planned meeting between both parties, however, has been welcomed by the Matong community in the hope they will at last get their pub back, particularly in light of last week’s fire at the much-loved Matong Memories Antiques shop.

“This is such great news, and we are really hoping council and the owners can resolve this matter as we just want our pub back. It’s the town’s lifeblood. We can’t even get milk and bread here anymore,” Matong community spokeswoman Sonya Currie said.

A community rally and barbecue is being organised for Saturday November 25 from 11am, with organisers hoping to show council and the pub’s owners the depth of support from across the region for the pub to be saved.