CHAMPIONS of the Manilla viaduct feel they have been misled by Transport for NSW.
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Residents were told options for the old railway were still open for discussion.
“I want clarity from state rail on this because we’ve put a lot of time, energy and expense into it,” Save the Manilla Viaduct proponent Mandy Skewes said.
“I don’t want us to continue to waste our time if this is already a done deal, don’t give us a window of opportunity and then slam the door in our face.”
There’s at least 12 months before any action is taken on the Manilla viaduct, and stakeholders were presented with a number of options for its future on Monday.
Transport for NSW has said it is open to further proposals from the community but it will support the option of demolition leaving three spans.
“Any proposal would need to be financially viable,” he said.
Saving the viaduct and maintaining it into the future is projected to cost $3 million, with another $2.6 million needed for ongoing repairs to 2028.
It would only be feasible if ownership is transferred to Tamworth Regional Council, that would then need to be accredited as a rail infrastructure manager to undertake repairs.
It’s unclear whether council would be willing to undertake that responsibility, but, Ms Skewes is not ready to give up.
“Option three is what they have decided on but it’s not set in stone,” she said.
“If we can come up with the funding for $1.3 million it means we can have our preferred option.”