PLANS to sell-off a large chunk of the old Broadmeadow Locomotive Depot are under way, with the Baird government admitting much of the land was considered “surplus to operations”.
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The 18-hectare site, once the second-largest rail depot in NSW, has been abandoned since it closed down in 1994.
But, with Broadmeadow firmly in the state government’s sights as a growth area, it appears the site could be headed for a change.
While the government hasn’t revealed what it has planned for the former depot, the NSW Transport Department has conceded that “residual railway land” at the site is considered to be “surplus to operations”.
The exact size of the land up for grabs is yet to be decided, but a spokeswoman for Transport said that “any future use of this land would be subject to standard planning consultation”.
The issue is complicated by the site’s history. The former depot is home to a number of heritage-significant buildings, including one of the largest remaining rail turntables in NSW.
In 2013 a report for Transport Heritage NSW said the site had been “neglected” and raised the idea of the site being used as a rail heritage museum.
Rail enthusiasts have long held out hopes of that vision being realised, but as Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp notes, the government is yet to act on any of the heritage report’s recommendations.
“It seems to be a bit out of site out of mind,” he said.
“Certainly the government is not making it very well-known that they've got this big parcel of land where they're looking at demolishing various buildings.
“It's a very significant piece of land and the community in Newcastle would certainly have a large interest in having the historic aspects retained and saved.”
The government for its part says any “residual land will not form part of the Broadmeadow Locomotive Depot heritage precinct”.
The Transport spokeswoman said a review of the state’s heritage rail assets was underway, which would “determine the current and future needs of the heritage assets in the custody of rail heritage organisations, including the opportunities presented by the Broadmeadow site to complement those needs”.
Also not part of the heritage area is the old Administration and Amenities building, which the government revealed it wants to demolish in answers to questions put by Mr Crakanthorp in parliament.
A number of Newcastle community groups have expressed interest in making use of the building, but the Transport spokeswoman said it is “very dilapidated, vandalised and contains hazardous materials including asbestos”.
