Poatina villagers fight to buy their assets
A charity is selling community assets in the 120-person village of Poatina, Tasmania, and residents are scrambling to secure ownership.
Fusion Australia, a Christian youth charity, bought the village in 1995 and ran it for 30 years. Fusion announced plans to sell in October 2025 and listed key assets only this week: the golf course, arts centre, school building, and swimming pool.
The nine-hole golf course draws 2,500 players a year. The arts centre hosts glass smiths, dancers, and musicians.
The golf club and arts collective want to buy their facilities. Both face a funding wall.
The golf club's committee barely earns enough to keep the course going. Banks won't lend to a not-for-profit for recreational property.
Fusion says any sale must align with its charitable purpose and be fair value. Other village buildings are being repurposed: the hall will house a British royal family museum and a men's shed.
- 120 people
- Village population
- 1995 to 2025
- Fusion ownership period
- 2,500
- Golf course players yearly
- Poatina, Tasmania, Northern Midlands
- Location
Why it mattersA small rural community's future depends on whether residents can afford to own and run the institutions that hold it together.
AustraliaA micro-case study in regional Australia, where small communities struggle to retain control of local gathering spaces and cultural assets when owners withdraw.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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