When the waters rose around them in 2012, the displaced residents of Oura had nowhere to go.
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"The SES rounded up everyone from the flood waters and dropped us off at the old Church of the Pioneers, because that was our evacuation point," said Sue Thomas, who has lived in the village for the past 15 years.
"But the doors were locked, so we had to drop everyone off at different houses. Without the church building, we had nowhere to coordinate flood relief or the clean up afterwards."
On that day seven years ago, Ms Thomas made a promise to the community. As the former president of the Oura Progress Association, she was going to oversee the purchase and refurbishment of the former Presbyterian church.
"The church didn't have power, septic or running water, so a lot would have to be done to it," she said.
The association spent years attempting to raise the funds on their own, before realising the heavy price would be insurmountable.
With support from the SES and Wagga City Council, the association mounted an assault on every state government grant they could find. It took four years before they found the right one.
In 2017, the NSW government granted $187,000 from the Clubs NSW fund towards the community's project.
The amount proved enough to purchase the site.]
"We really didn't think it would actually happen," Ms Thomas said.
"It was a shock when it did. That really was our last option, it was such a surprise."
Access ways now added, along with amenities, a kitchen, updated plumbing and electricity, the building is ready. Unveiled on Saturday, its ribbon was cut by Tony Dunn, the grandson of the original owner in the 1930s.
"It was wonderful to have that history there on the day," Ms Thomas said.
"There is a lot of history inside the building that we've kept. There's a 200-year-old stained glass window too."
Not only an emergency control centre, the Community Cultural and Arts Centre, as it has been dubbed, will host various community events, including a monthly church meeting.