General News
7 December, 2024
Council to revisit heritage study
The future of historic buildings in Nyngan, such as the recently closed Nyngan Town Hall, could depend on their inclusion on NSW Heritage registers, making them eligible for targeted grant funding.
Bogan Shire Council commissioned a heritage study in 2012, but to date, only the Nyngan courthouse and the Chinese graves at the cemetery are listed as state-significant historical assets.
The Bogan Shire Local Environment Plan (LEP), adopted in 2011, only includes the courthouse, Chinese graves, Nyngan Railway Station and goods shed, and the railway footbridge. Last week, Councillor Emily Stanton raised the issue and successfully moved a motion for council to apply for grant funding to have the heritage study re-done.
“My reason for putting this forward was in regard to the town hall. If an updated heritage study was to be done and adopted by council, it would then be identified in the LEP as a local heritage item,” she said. “Then it may be eligible for state heritage funding, which often becomes available for dealing with buildings such as this. I believe as it stands now, the town hall is not eligible for any heritage grants that council apply for.”
The Nyngan Town Hall, built in 1897, was closed in 2023 as a precautionary measure after damage to parts of the ceiling was discovered due to a roof leak. A quantity surveyor has since inspected the building and estimated it would cost more than $1.25 million to rectify the damage.
Bogan Shire Council’s general manager Derek Francis said the northern wall of the building had moved, resulting in the loss of support for the roof framing. “The recommended measures to rectify this include underpinning the wall and footing, partially reconstructing the northern wall, reconstructing the wall within the roof space, and upgrading drainage along the northern wall,” he said.
“The Nyngan Town Hall is not listed in the Bogan Shire Local Environmental Plan 2011 as a heritage item, nor is it listed on the ‘State Heritage Inventory’. Notwithstanding this, it is a very important asset for our community, and it is recommended that council develop a strategy and plan for its repair and preservation.”
Mr. Francis said this should involve including the town hall in council’s LEP listing of heritage items and then seeking conservation grants to fund the proposed plan. He noted that the decision not to adopt the recommendations of the 2012 heritage study or include more assets in the LEP predated his appointment, so he couldn’t provide a reason.
Council will now apply for $25,000 in grant funding to have a new heritage study carried out. If successful, they will consider its recommendations, which would likely include adding buildings such as the Nyngan Town Hall to the local environment plan. The state register and the local plan are both designed to protect significant assets for future generations.
Bogan Shire Council has previously considered updating the Nyngan Town Hall and commissioned an architect to draw plans that included keeping the façade and constructing a modern air-conditioned complex behind it. Mr. Francis said the cost of this development was beyond council’s budget capacity and would depend on a significant grant from the NSW or federal government.
