A CENTURY-old pump station riddled with asbestos has been transformed into Tamworth's newest park for more than half-a-million dollars.
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The $600,000 upgrade is finally finished and the area has opened to the public.
Tamworth Regional Council (TRC) water and waste manager Dan Coe said the design of the pergola paid homage to history.
"It ties into the original octagonal design," he said.
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"There is a sign that is going to be installed to detail the heritage of the site, so what it was used for in the past and ... some of the city's water supply history."
The Paradise Pump Station was built about 100 years ago at the start of King George V Avenue, across the river at the end of Peel Street in Tamworth.
CCTV cameras have been installed around the area as the council warns local hooligans the new park is a no-go-zone.
Mr Coe said it was time for the space to be beautified and put to better use, now that the station wasn't needed for water supply.
"It was becoming unsafe, from a structural point of view, and it also contained asbestos so council made a decision to remove that and basically build a park area to try and recognise the history of the water supply for Tamworth," he said.
A drought-resistant garden full of native plants surrounds the pergola area, which also has ramp access.
TRC's water and waste team will now hand over to the sport and recreation team, who would be responsible for adding seating and barbecue areas in the future.
Mr Coe confirmed the first stage of the project, which has been largely completed in the past six months, has cost somewhere around the $600,000 mark, and fell into the budgeted cost.
The final touches are being put on at Paradise Park, including the addition of rubbish and recycling bins and a better parking area.
The project is part of a bigger plan to make the tourist attraction of King George V Avenue - with its heritage-listed oak trees - a more desirable place for activities.