They voted 9-2 in favour of scrapping any plans to sell the Village, instead choosing to lease the heritage-listed site to the Friends of the Pioneer Village Society for five years.

The majority of councillors voted to give the lease to the Friends,with only Cr Kevin Conolly and Cr Warwick Mackay voting against, while Cr Rex Stubbs was absent from the meeting.

Friends publicity officer Lesley George was on the brink of tears as supporters hugged her and congratulated her and other Friends members on the momentous win.

She was absolutely elated that the Village would be kept in community hands, which is what she and others have worked long and hard for.

"I'm gob smacked," she said. "Ten years of effort has culminated tonight."

It seems their passion and relentless lobbying won out in the end, with Cr Tiffany Tree moving a motion which struck a compromise between what the Friends had been asking for and what Hawkesbury City Council had been prepared to offer.

The Friends will receive $100,000 start-up funding to help restore the Village, but it will not be handed over in one lump sum.

Council's general manager, Peter Jackson, said the Council had to ensure the community's money would be "appropriately accounted for", so instead the Friends will be able to seek reimbursement for works carried out on the Village up to the value of $100,000.

In addition, the Council will also provide an annual amount of $10,000 for the initial lease period of five years, which will cover the cost of rates and other charges.

All capital improvements, maintenance and upkeep of the Village will be the Friends' responsibility.

Hawkesbur y Mayor Bart Bassett said he really did wish the Friends all the best with their endeavour to run the Village, but he did "draw a line in the sand".

"If you come back for any additional money in the future I won't be supporting that," he said. "But this is a really genuine offer by the Council."

As another condition, the Council will have the right to terminate the lease if after the first 12 months Friends are unable to open or operate the Village for a period of three months or more.

The Friends said they would aim to have a portion of the Village re-opened in three months' time, and have it fully operational in about six months, depending on the condition of the buildings.