Energy and Security of Community Hall

Solar panels and battery backup will be installed on and in the Hall. The Hall and School Reserves are a community asset maintained entirely by volunteers of a community of approximately 50 people. The Hall is used by community members and outside groups from Portland. The Hall is used for meetings, birthdays, weddings, cyclists sporting touring groups, Church studies, dances, family reunions. It has toilets, full kitchen facilities, supper room, and heating.

Benefits to the community are the Hall Reserves and school sites will have energy security. These Reserves house the local Country Fire Brigade and the Hall and grounds are the designated Assembly Area for Disaster. The Nelson Highway is one of two routes used by 500 BW trucks per day to transport woodchips and logs to the Port of Portland. Each year several trucks overturn or crash with other vehicles. The Gorae West Fire brigade is the first brigade to attend accidents between Portland and Nelson on the highway.