A district community sustained extensive damage after a car crashed into the building on Saturday, March 29.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
A Tesla vehicle crashed into the Windellama Hall at about 8.30am after the driver fell asleep while travelling southeast on Windellama Road, the locality's Progress Association president, Gary Lourigan said. The hall is located directly opposite Windellama Road's T-intersection with Oallen Ford Road, 40km southeast of Goulburn.
Police and RFS attended the scene. The 42-year-old male, from Mollymook, was not injured however the vehicle sustained significant damage.
Mr Lourigan estimated $40,000 to $50,000 worth of damage to the hall and other infrastructure. The vehicle hit an exterior metal paling fence, before striking a vinyl fence and then the hall's frontage.
The impact pushed the inside stage forward one metre, damaged other infrastructure and the lower substructure.
"The whole front structure of the stage will have to be redone, plus electricals and the air-conditioning unit, which was wiped out," Mr Lourigan said.
The Progress Association had also recently completed a $5000 garden refurbishment, which was also destroyed.
"It's just one of those things," Mr Lourigan said.
"The driver fell asleep, his foot would have hit the accelerator and the car hit the council culvert before crashing into the hall. The initial feeling is anger because it's a community-owned hall but the man's alive and that's the main thing."
He said the man was deeply apologetic. The hall and the driver are insured.
The building is used for monthly markets, community meetings and as a base for campers and caravaners.
Mr Lourigan said it was the first time a vehicle had struck the hall, despite its location on the busy route.
In related news, Goulburn's NSW Fire and Rescue unit extinguished a small grassfire off Brewer Street on Friday afternoon.
Station officer Mark Beachcroft said a 4WD tanker extinguished a five by 10 metre fire after it broke out off Brewer Street, Bradfordville at about 2.20pm. The outbreak occurred beside the Wollondilly River.
The cause is unknown at this stage.