Rehabilitation for Paradise Pumping Station site

The site of the Paradise Pumping Station has the potential to become a gateway to Tamworth’s heritage-listed King George V Avenue after Tamworth Regional Councillors decided tonight to rehabilitate it, creating a space for daytime recreation including a pergola, park benches and landscaping.

They also decided to fund the work from the Water Reserve and “to approach the relevant NSW Government Department seeking an exemption to the requirement to fill in the existing wells, such that the existing wells are capped and make safe for possible use in the future”.

Tamworth Region Acting Mayor, Phil Betts, said that Council considered a number of options for the future of the site following an extensive assessment process.

“A building report revealed the pumping station building to be in an extremely poor condition and we received further advice that all materials containing asbestos would need to be removed as soon as practicable,” he said.

“However, there is no contamination in the actual structure of the decommissioned wells bellow the ground and at present there is no risk of asbestos contamination into the surrounding environment, including the Peel River.”

Cr Betts said while the Paradise Pumping Station is not, and never has been, part of an emergency water supply arrangement for Tamworth, the locally significant heritage structure was an important consideration in the decision.

“I believe we’ve found an appropriate solution, rehabilitating the site for the enjoyment of our community, whilst maintaining the heritage aspects,” he said.

The assessment of the pumping station site included an independent building health and safety report which identified non-friable asbestos in fibre cement sheeting and an Asbestos Building Materials Assessment. A Heritage Assessment was also carried out due to the building’s local heritage significance as part of the original development of Tamworth’s water supply in the first half of the 1900s.

The King George V Avenue Working Group had previously approached Council regarding creating an area on the opposite side of the road to the Paradise Pumping Station to potentially host the Paradise Market Garden and similar activities.

Council will complete further community consultation to assist in the planning process prior to the commencement of the project.