The Heritage Council of NSW is calling for submissions to determine if the Wauchope Railway Group should remain on the State Heritage Register.
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The Office of Environment and Heritage said the railway group includes the railway station and platform, former station master’s residence, former gatekeeper’s cottage, goods shed, railway bridge, railway yard and a series of contemporary business premises.
A spokesperson also confirmed that the review is under consideration by the independent Heritage Council of NSW for removal from the register on the basis that the group may not meet the threshold of state heritage significance. The Council is seeking input to assist its consideration of the heritage status of the station. The review was triggered by an application from Railcorp to amend the site curtilage. Should the Heritage Council decide to remove the item from the State Heritage Register it will continue to have statutory heritage protection as a local heritage item.
Wauchope Historical Society president Jean Hegarty says the organisation believes the removal of the group from the heritage register is ‘a bad thing’.
“If the site is eventually sold off, the historic goods shed could be demolished …. they could just put a bulldozer through it,” she said.
“The society will be opposing it and will be writing a submission. Of course, even if it does come off the state register, the site will remain on the local register. It is just a pity that the original station was replaced with a brick building too.”
Mrs Hegarty said the society had looked at heritage grants to restore the goods shed but the ownership of the land was a hurdle.
Another interested party is The Gateway Group who have floated several ideas for the railway precinct. Spokesperson Don Neil said his group continued to have discussions with ARTC who have the lease over the area.
Local resident Garry Bruem is another with a keen interest in the site. He supports beautifying the area, which he calls the ‘gateway to Wauchope and the Hastings’. “The place has to be used and it would be marvellous if it had a park or shaded trees. It could be transformed into something beautiful.”
Submissions close on November 6, 2016.
The place has to be used and it would be marvellous if it had a park or shaded trees. It could be transformed into something beautiful
- Garry Bruem