Cr Ron Mildren said the creation of a shared home for the historical society and other unnamed groups should be the target to coincide with the end of an updated, three-year memorandum of understanding with council to facilitate the society's relocation to Bonegilla Migrant Experience.

But finding a similar site to the one it is vacating in South Street will be difficult because of the city's surging commercial property market.

Cr Mildren said the building's new owners were entitled to maximise rental return from the property.

"Wherever we look in the absolute centre of our town we will face the issue of economic rent versus the ability to pay," he said.

"The historical society in the foreseeable future is unlikely to be able to pay actual market rent unless we can put it together with some other combined group of activities.

"There are a number of cultural groups in our community under threat by one means or another or are taking accommodation that is less than perfect to sustaining their activities over the longer term."

The Wodonga Brass Band's long-term home is back in the spotlight with council allocating $600,000 in this year's budget for the extension of South Street from Hovell to Havelock streets.

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Cr John Watson rejected criticism of the society's relocation to Bonegilla.

"There has been a bit of talk in the paper about it being a loss to our city," he said.

"But Bonegilla is part of our city and part of our whole region.

"People going out to Bonegilla will be getting a double whammy to see other history of our city."

Director Simone Hogg said Bonegilla wasn't dissimilar to what the society had in South Street to manage its collection.

"It is a base level heating, cooling system, nothing more advanced,"she said.

"The preservation of the collection has been stepped up in recent years."

Cr Kat Bennett, in her return from an extended leave period, hoped part of the society's collection being on display as part of Hyphen's opening would spark more involvement in the organisation.

Cr Lbby Hall and Cr Olga Quilty also want the society back in central Wodonga.

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