This possibility was raised by the Shire of Northam representative on the AVAS committee Councillor Ray Head at a crisis meeting last Friday.

He said the migrant display at the centre could be moved to the Old Railway Station and AVAS could take over the meeting and display rooms.

“With Bridgeley Centre and the new Recreation Centre, the meeting room is now getting little use,” Cr Head said.

“Council owns the present AVAS buildings and could let them out for a commercial rent.”

A large crowd attended the meeting in the Old Post Office Gallery called because of AVAS’s dire financial situation.

“We don’t have the funds to carry on,” AVAS president Carol-Anne Wescombe said.

“If members are not willing to become involved, we will have to close our doors.

“The present committee took over $40,000 in debts.

“And the previous gallery director did not see fit to do the acquittal for the funds we had received.

“This will almost certainly adversely affect our funding from Country Arts WA and Healthway.”

Ms Wescombe told the meeting the most recent grant from the Shire had been taken up with paying off debt.

A further $8000 would allow the group to operate until June.

Most of the meeting was taken up with questions from the floor.

However it must be said that little of substance came from the floor with few suggestions on how to stabilise finances.

AVAS no longer employs staff and still owes its previous administration officer long service leave entitlements.

The meeting was circulated with a form for volunteering and the committee hopes this will gain a response from the membership.

However the feeling of the meeting was that AVAS needed to be run in a more businesslike fashion with a person with experience in grant applications holding a senior position.