Anot-for-profit community group has been asked by Wattle Range Council to contribute at least $250,000 of its own funds to replace two council-owned buildings in Millicent.

The council has back-flipped on a decision to allocate $540,000 of its revenue to the work.

The ageing pre-fabricated timber buildings in question form part of the Millicent National Trust Museum.

A peppercorn lease allows them to be used for part of the horse-drawn vehicle restoration workshop and to store historic items from the Helen Hughes Costume Collection.

The buildings date back to the 1960s and formerly housed classrooms for the original Millicent Primary School.

Following the erection of two other primary schools in Millicent in this decade, the State Government handed over the original school buildings to local government.

The Millicent National Trust has developed a museum on the Mount Gambier Road site over the past 53 years but the ex-school buildings remained in council ownership.

Wattle Range Council allocated $540,000 in the budget for the current financial year to either upgrade or replace the prefabricated timber buildings.

However, it had a change of heart at its April monthly meeting after consideration of a brief, 19-word written report from engineering services director Peter Halton.

He noted the National Trust Museum building project was one of five which were unlikely to be completed by June 30.

“Further consultation (is) required with State National Trust to see whether it is likely to take over the new buildings,” Mr Halton wrote.

This prompted Councillor Dale Price to move a motion which attracted unanimous support and little comment in the chamber.

His motion to vary the 2022/23 budget was seconded by Cr John Drew.

Council will now instead put $250,000 of its own funds towards the project provided the National Trust matches or exceeds this amount.

This offer is available until the end of the calendar year and will then lapse.

According to Cr Price, this was an opportune time to approach the National Trust in Adelaide as it had a new chief executive and its State Council was about to visit the South East region.

Cr Price claimed the National Trust in Adelaide had “millions of dollars in the bank”.

“$540,000 is way too much for Wattle Range Council to spend,” Cr Price said.

“The National Trust of South Australia needs to support its Millicent branch.”

Council chief executive Ben Gower suggested to Cr Price that his motion be varied to provide more guidance to council staff.

“What will happen to the buildings if the new funding offer is not accepted by the National Trust?” Mr Gower asked.

In reply, Cr Price said there would be no guidance from council at this time and the motion was not changed.

Later in the meeting on an unrelated matter, Mr Gower said the council had been approached informally by the Millicent National Trust branch for assistance in paying its annual insurance premiums for the museum.