Council’s decision to call for expressions of interest for the sale or lease of the iconic building had prompted a major community backlash, South Coast MP Shelley Hancock said.

This week Mrs Hancock called on elected councillors to abandon any plans to sell the cinema.

“A torrent of community members have been in contact with me over the past week expressing their anger and outrage over the proposed sale of the Sussex Cinema by Shoalhaven City Council,” she said.

“I am absolutely appalled with Shoalhaven City Council’s plans to sell the cinema and believe they have a moral obligation to keep this important asset in public hands.

“This community asset was donated by members of the community to the community and is now held in high regard with locals as a source of pride for Sussex Inlet.

“The facility is not only used as a business to screen movies, it has been the centre of many important fundraising events, a venue for public meetings and in the past an epicentre of Sussex Inlet. It is in the heart of town and this icon should stay with the community.

“The rear of the building has been used by many community groups and organisations as well as the Sussex Pottery Club since 1975.”

Mrs Hancock is circulating a petition calling on council to reconsider any plans to sell the asset.

At council’s last full meeting Mayor Greg Watson said the building might be used more effectively by a group such as Sussex Inlet Community Technology Centre (CTC).

CTC president Jane Piazza said the organisation, which needs room to expand, had not been in contact with council regarding the cinema space and was not considering the move.

“We have petitions all over town to keep the theatre open; whether council does that, we don’t know,” she said.

“We would like to expand, but not at the expense of the theatre,” she said.

Sussex Inlet resident Pam Paget said the cinema was something that has always been there.

“It would be a real loss to the town, what else have you got beside the clubs and the picture show?

“In the holidays the kids love going to the pictures.

“We’re determined to keep it. I’ve got a lot of signatures,” she said.

Gwen and Ken Wiggins moved to Sussex Inlet in 1964 and bought the cinema in 1965.

“It hadn’t been running when we arrived so we bought the equipment and started the cinema again. We ran it for 11 years,” she said.

“I didn’t believe it when I first heard of the plan to sell it.

“Now with petitions going around, I just don’t know what is going to happen.

“The ground was given to the people of Sussex Inlet.

“It’s important to the community, a lot of people can’t get out of town to go to other theatres, either Husky or Nowra to see movies.”