By Ashleigh Fielding | posted on August 8, 2019
THE future of the state heritage-listed Imperial Hotel Broomehill which closed down three months ago could be determined at a community meeting next week.
Broomehill grain and sheep farmer Scott Thompson wants to gauge his community’s “appetite” for a pub at the August 14 meeting and hopes people will attend to voice their opinions.
The town, which recorded a population of 251 people in the 2016 Census, has now lost both its only roadhouse and only pub, and its post office is up for sale.
“Recent community consultation highlighted that there is a want for a service like the roadhouse,” Mr Thompson said.
“The pub closed down in May due to just bad management and I know we’ve been busy seeding, but it’s time to flesh it out and at least get an idea of what the community wants.”
Mr Thompson wondered if Broomehill could follow in the footsteps of Nyabing, a wheat and sheep town 78km up the road that had its pub reopened in March after the community purchased it.
A similar turn of events occurred in Ongerup in 2014 when residents purchased the town’s general store to allow grocery shopping to be completed in Ongerup instead of in Katanning, Gnowangerup or Albany.
Mr Thompson is trying to organise members of the Nyabing community who were instrumental in their pub’s reopening to discuss their strategy at the meeting.
“This won’t be the last meeting about this,” he said.
“My gut feeling is everyone will say yes, we want a pub, so the next thing will be well, if you want it, you’ve got to do something about it.”
The August 14 meeting will commence at 6pm at the Broomehill Recreational Complex.
