A COMMUNITY campaign to save Mount Gambier’s historic railway shed has been dealt a major blow with heritage assessors failing to issue state protection for the site.
There are now no legal hurdles to stop the state transport department moving in and dismantling the towering galvanised train shed, which is nestled along the city’s recreational rail corridor.
But the steadfast proponents fighting to save the 65-year-old rail infrastructure yesterday upped the ante by calling on state transport authorities not to rush in and demolish the site.
Demolition works were halted in late June following the South Australian Heritage Council giving an “emergency” provisional listing to the fire damaged building.
But the council, chaired by media identity Keith Conlon, on Tuesday decided an assessment report found the roundhouse and turntable did not demonstrate “significant” aspects of the state’s railway history.
The report said the integrity of the roundhouse had been diminished by the removal of its maintenance facilities, as well as later recladding and fire damage.
“The report highlighted the fact neither structure was intact,” according to a statement.
SA Heritage Trust Mount Gambier chair Nathan Woodruff conceded the decision was a major setback, but vowed to continue the fight to save the site.
He called on the transport department to undertake a fresh round of community consultation ahead of any demolition works.
“The fight is definitely not over, but obviously our first avenue for state heritage protection has fallen through,” Mr Woodruff told The Border Watch.
He said there was now an option to have the roundhouse, similar to the turntable, listed with local heritage protection.
According to the campaigner, the “Save the Roundhouse” campaign had spread across social media platforms and had been featured in both national and international railway publications.
“Now is a good time for the department to get some brownie points with the public and talk to us – we have not been able to get any communication from them at all,” Mr Woodruff said.
“All we have heard is that it will be demolished. Can the locals have a say in their own infrastructure? We live here and we already put up with their mess at the roundhouse site.”
Mr Woodruff – who has been spearheading the campaign – said the structure could be restored for less or the same as demolition costs.
“We have quotes showing it would cost between $80,000 and $90,000 to replace the whole roof and probably under a $100,000 for the rest of the timber work,” he said.
He said the group planned to compile a comprehensive business and concept plan to give to the department.
There is also an opportunity for the National Heritage Trust SA to take over the ownership of the site.
Standing at the overgrown site yesterday, Mr Woodruff hit out at the department for allowing the site to become so overgrown with weeds and a dump site for scrap materials.
“I’m not happy at all about how it has been left and treated. A lot of work could had been done after the fire to secure the building,” said Mr Woodruff, who described the unkempt site as a fire hazard.
He also called on Mount Gambier City Council to force the department to clean up the site.
The report also revealed the site was not as historically valuable as other roundhouses in the state, such as the State Heritage-listed Peterborough roundhouse and turntable.
The community is invited to a meeting at the Mount Gambier Courthouse this Sunday at 7pm to discuss the future of the Mount Gambier roundhouse site.
The Border Watch contacted the transport department for comment.
