Last drinks called as council prepares to demolish town's only pub

Robinvale Hotel to be demolished a decade after fire gutted Victorian town's only pub In short: Swan Hill Rural City Council has announced plans to demolish the remains of the Robinvale Hotel. The nearly 100-year-old pub was destroyed by fire in 2015 and has since sat derelict in the heart of town. What's next? Demolition could begin as early as next month, despite some residents calling for the building to be retained. More than 10 years after a fire gutted the only pub in the Victorian border town of Robinvale, the remains are to be demolished, just two years shy of the building's 100th birthday. The Swan Hill Rural City Council in north-west Victoria voted this week to step in and demolish the building, after an independent structural engineering report found the site "critically unsafe". The Robinvale Hotel, built in 1928, had long been an important tourist drawcard for the region, as well as a place for locals to meet and socialise. Its demise was a loss to the town's estimated 8,000 residents, who have grown increasingly frustrated at the lack of movement at the site. An independent heritage assessment carried out last year found it was not practical to repair the building and that it was "highly regrettable" that works to stabilise and weatherproof it were not able to be completed shortly after the fire. Time for action Swan Hill mayor, Stuart King, said council had worked with the building's owner for a very long time. "But the time has now come for action," he said. A safety exclusion zone was erected on Perrin Street earlier this year, forcing residents to take a detour. Cr King said safety was the biggest priority. "The building is unsafe, it needs to be demolished and so we will take action to have that work done," he said. The ABC was unable to reach the owner for comment. Local history Former local resident Anniemae Goldring launched a petition last year calling for the council to reject the initial demolition application. She spent her formative years at the pub with her nan, a bartender and cleaner. She said it will be a sombre occasion when the building comes down "Differences aside, I'm glad that there will be some change for the township," she said. Ms Goldring remains frustrated that the old pub was not better protected after the fire, and hopes it does not become a vacant lot. New opportunities Just over the border in Euston, NSW, bowling and recreation club chief executive Guy Fielding said he was glad to finally see something happen. "It's been a long time (coming)," he said. "The more facilities we have in our community, the better it is for our town and makes it more attractive for not only the locals but for tourists." He said it would be "fantastic" to see the hotel rebuilt. "Every town needs a pub,"Mr Fielding said. Cr King said the demolition provided a "fresh start" for the town, which has a diverse population of more than 45 nationalities. "No town wants a burnt-out, half fallen down, derelict building sitting in the middle of the CBD," he said. Plans for the site are not known. Cr King said any new building would likely need to meet a number of conditions due to the site's heritage overlay. An assessment will be done on the bottle shop next door after the demolition to decide its future.