General News
24 July, 2026
Carisbrook Town Hall Market’s closure has been delayed six months by council
Central Goldfields Shire Council have allowed Carisbrook Town Hall Market to trade until the end of January.
Carisbrook Town Hall Market can now trade until the end of January in a compromise reached with Central Goldfields Shire Council.
Acting CEO Lenny Jenner offered to extend the business’ use of the hall until February 1, 2027, following community feedback.
Council previously told the business owners, Mike and Sally Turton, they had to stop trading immediately and be out of the hall in eight weeks.
This was met with “disbelief” by the Turtons and anger from the wider community.
Mr Turton said the new agreement was a “much better situation” which allowed them to wind down their business.
“It makes you feel better but it doesn’t make you feel great because it’s something we’ve done for years,” he said.
“At least this way it’s a reasonable outcome.”
The new deadline allows the couple to continue supporting community groups with stock over Christmas.
“At least we’ve got time to tell those groups what the situation is and they’ve got time to look for something else [next year],” Mr Turton said.
Mr Jenner said council has responsibilities under state legislation to ensure that public halls are used for public purposes.
“Use of the hall as a private retail business in a manner that severely restricts community use is not consistent with the Crown Land (Reserves) Act,” he said.
“A genuine community market is an appropriate use, and this occurs at Talbot, for example.”
The Talbot Town Hall Community Market is led by a Community Asset Committee of volunteers appointed by council.
They manage the hall, covering expenses and maintenance, with money raised from stall and hall hire fees.
In comparison, the Carisbrook Town Hall Market is a private business.
Rather than pay a stall fee they have rented the space from the Carisbrook Historical Society since the mid-1980s.
The Society was the committee of management until 2014, when their agreement with council lapsed, but they continue to maintain the hall.
Contributing to this maintenance is the Turton couple’s rent which totals about a third of the Society’s annual income.
However, the main difference between the two markets, according to Mr Jenner, is how storage is handled.
“The Carisbrook Hall is being used by a private retail business between markets for storage, and that prevents the opportunity for community use, as required under the Act,” he said.
The Talbot Town Hall Community Market does not do this.
Mr Jenner said council hope to increase the hall’s use in the community.
“Council plans to expand the range of users at the hall for recreation, arts, cultural and social activities including weddings, functions and events after the commercial storage is removed,” he said.
Mr Turton said he questions how likely that is to happen considering previous interest and the condition of the hall.
“The bottom line is there’s only been a few people over the last 25 years who wanted to use it,” he said.
Mr Turton said he was “overwhelmed” by community support since the closure’s announcement.
“We’re very very humbled and very honoured from the support,” he said.
The Carisbrook Town Hall Market will return to operating every second and last Sunday of the month until its closure.
They will also be open each Sunday in December in the lead up to Christmas.