The mystery has not yet come to the end.

It has been more than a year since the Consumer Affair of Victoria (CAV) made public announcement in Albury-Wodonga Newsweekly about the winding up and distributing of the properties of the deregistered association, Wat Phouthavongsayaram Lao Buddhist Association Inc. Apparently, the issue has not yet been finalised which makes the ownership of the temple at Abercorn Street still uncertain.

The newly registered association, Wat Bhuddavongsayaram Inc., has been taking the challenge in using this property to run the Buddhist Service every Sunday since the end of 2010. The service has been going so well for the past 3 years. There were more than 50 participants attended their 2^nd Anniversary last November and 20-30 participants for their regular service every Sunday.

The uncertainty of the ownership issue has prevented Wat Buddhavongsayaram Inc. to be independent enough to continue running and more importantly develop the place. Thus, it has come to the decision to call the day. Sunday 25^th August 2013 will be the last Sunday service of Wat Albury at Abercorn Street. The news was announced to the members which brought the sad feeling to many regular comers who had so much good time on Sunday here in the past few years.

Ajahn Satit who took leadership in managing Wat Buddhavongsayaram Inc. said.

“We have run the temple so well and I can see the need of a Buddhist temple in Albury. But the uncertainty of the ownership has prevented us to independently developing it. We may find a place elsewhere to establish a new centre or we may comeback to this historic Buddhist temple if and when the Consumer Affair of Victoria has resolved this issue.”

Wat Buddhavongsayaram Inc. is making their commitment to the community that they will be back to run a regular Sunday service in a new place within three month after its last Sunday service on 25^th August 2013.

Wat Buddhavongsayaram Inc.’s speaker suggests no any other Buddhist group should occupy the place while the process of the CAV is still going on. Any group who are interested in taking over the temple should contact CAV regarding this matter. It is the Registrar(CAV)’s position that since the cancellation of Wat Phouthavongsayaram Lao Buddhist Association Inc. on 25 October 2001, the Abercorn Street temple was vested in the Registrar.

In the mean time please follow its movement on www.facebook.com/watalbury

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