Tamworth Regional Council has issued its strongest show of support to date for an historic rail bridge in order to keep the bulldozers at bay.
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At its last meeting of the year, the council voted unanimously to write a letter of support to the state government calling for the Manilla viaduct to be added to the NSW heritage register.
However, the council made a point to ensure it wouldn't be lumped with any ongoing costs associated with its preservation.
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Two local groups, Save the Viaduct and the Manilla historical society, have been fighting to spare the disused structure demolition for a number of years.
With the future of the iconic viaduct on shaky ground, the local groups drafted in heritage engineer Frank Johnson to assist them with the nomination process for listing of the viaduct on the State Heritage Register.
In his final report, Mr Johnson noted the significant community support to keep the viaduct.
"The timber viaduct in particular required a massive maintenance task, which was carried out by local railway bridge gangs - this is now a lost art but one that should be recognised and preserved," he said.
"We have looked at railway infrastructure in other country towns but feel that the Manilla Railway Viaduct and Bridge are unique in their history and relationship to the town.
"There is strong community support for the preservation of the viaduct and bridge, both for their history and for their potential to contribute to the life of the town."
Mr Johnson's report came in response to the Manilla Viaduct future options study prepared by ERM for John Holland Rail on behalf of Transport for NSW.
While the council will back the call for heritage listing, it will be emphasising in its letter this support does not extend to the council taking over ownership or responsibility of the viaduct in the future.
Speaking to the Leader earlier this year, Mr Johnson said the viaduct had a number of unique characteristics which should see it eligible for heritage status, including its length, its prominence in the town and the distinctive curve.
Earlier this year, it was organised to have a group of University of New South Wales students visit Manilla as part of a urban planning project to come up with some ways to rejuvenate the town.
Jacob McArthur
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
