General News
13 February, 2023
$2m rail yard plan
Hopes are high that one of the worst eyesores in Horsham will finally be transformed into parkland and community space. A landscaping plan is already under way as part of a $2 million bid to clean up the abandoned city rail yards. Horsham Rural City...
Hopes are high that one of the worst eyesores in Horsham will finally be transformed into parkland and community space.
A landscaping plan is already under way as part of a $2 million bid to clean up the abandoned city rail yards.
Horsham Rural City Council has commissioned the early works for the project, which has a total budget of $2 million.
Council will contribute $100,000, with the remaining $1.9 million being sought as external government funding.
Horsham North resident and the president of Horsham Historical Society Rod Jenkinson, said the revitalisation was long overdue, but he was delighted to hear work was finally going ahead.
"It's been empty for some years now," he said. "And I think most people realise that other parts of Horsham, particularly the river and CBD, have all the attention and North Horsham has been forgotten.
"Every day there's people walking down the length of Lawrence Street and there's not even a path. They're walking on the road and dodging vehicles, so there's definitely a need for a walking area."
HRCC has begun working on a smaller parcel of land south of the railway station which it currently leases from the owner, VicTrack.
This work was approved in council's 2021-22 budget, with a costing of $66,000, and centres on land around the station building between the Kalkee Road overpass and Wawunna Road.
A row of large established trees will be planted, sheds will be demolished and garden beds will be renewed.
At the same time, VicTrack is carrying out remediation works on the main site north of the railway line and is scheduled to complete its clean-up by the end of this month.
General rubbish and graffiti are being removed, along with a concrete structure that stands directly opposite the platform.
The project encompasses rehabilitating land previously contaminated by fuel storage and transfer, landscaping the area to create recreational and open space, and providing parking and public access to Horsham's silo art.
"Council is continuing to talk with higher levels of government about the funding required to advance it," Cr Gulline said.
She said the fact council did not own or lease the land had "stalled progress up until now".
However, council was "looking at options (to) give us greater control when it comes to delivering what the community and council wants to see happen", Cr Gulline said.
In 2021, Cr Gulline said council had written to VicTrack to ask what funds had been allocated for improving the railway station building, "which needs refurbishment".
She stressed that council was mindful of the region’s campaign to have passenger trains returned and how clean-up works could affect future rail infrastructure needs.
“We just need to be careful that any works do not impinge on any parts of the rail corridor that may be required for transport purposes in the future,” Cr Gulline said.
“But, overall, it’s wonderful to see something is finally going to happen."
The proposed makeover was outlined during a visit to Horsham on Friday by Senator Bridget McKenzie, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development.
Senator McKenzie inspected the former rail yards, which have sat vacant for the past decade following the relocation of operations to the then newly opened Wimmera Intermodal Freight Terminal at Dooen in 2012.
The revitalisation of this land was a high priority for the community, The Nationals' leader in the Senate was told.