An Aussie country town is incomplete without its local pub - it’s where the community gathers to catch up with mates or enjoy a family meal. Since 2017, the pub in our small rural Victorian town in the beautiful Macedon Ranges has been closed. We are calling on the local council and the pub owner to come to an agreement to restore it or sell it, and give us our pub back.

Local pubs are an essential part of Aussie culture. They’re family-friendly places where one can enjoy an affordable meal. The Romsey pub has been boarded up with corrugated sheets for 4 years now - it's an eyesore. 

Back in 2007, our community and the council successfully fought a historic legal battle against Jim Hogan, the owner of the pub, and his decision to put pokies in the pub. We went to the Supreme court and won! It was a landmark victory for us and an inspiration for other communities. Unfortunately, the last leaseholder of the pub couldn’t continue with the business and it was shut down.

Now, as we come out of COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns, we need a place to reconnect as a community. It’s the perfect opportunity to revive the beloved pub and make it the hub of the town again. It isn’t fair that the community is being held ransom by one man not willing to do something about this.

We’re calling on the Council to back the community once again and bring back our pub. Let us show once again that an Aussie community doesn’t need pokies to thrive.