Station Street has been a hot topic in the Highlands that has sparked the interest of community groups over the years.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Although the street has been frequented with traffic since it reopened in March, members of the community and council came together to mark the significance of its completion.
Everyone gathered at the Bowral Memorial Park on July 18 for the occasion.
Council administrator Viv May said charm, the "character and heritage [was in] no way compromised", and the project would not have been possible without people in the Highlands.
"It's wonderful to see the community come together for the outcome of the Station Street upgrade," council administrator Viv May said.
It entailed upgrades of the road, the removal of parking to create more than 130 additional car spaces in the area, lighting, pedestrian access, and the removal of asbestos, kerb, guttering and old underground pipework.
Eight pin oak trees that were planted by children from selected schools in 1937 to mark the coronation of King George in 1937, were also saved.
It was initially proposed that they would be ripped out, which was met with community protests, where the camellia gardens were also in danger.
Friends of Bowral (FOB) President John Barrett thanked the community for signing a petition to save the trees, and National Trust for listing the issue.
"What we see here today is a great example of a community that's engaged and a council that's listening," he said.
He said it was hard for FOB to get information about the project when it was announced, and that other government bodies such as the Department of Transport and Infrastructure NSW became involved.
Australian director of the International Camellia Society, secretary and co-founder of Camellia Ark Australia Dr Stephen Utick presented a camellia called winter celebration, which he said was to be planted to mark the preservation of the gardens.
It was also a gesture to mark the bicentenary of camellias in NSW.
Meg Probyn from the Southern Highlands branch for the Australian Garden History Society said different camellia varieties have been planted in the region since the 1930s.
"It's very important for the significance of those camellias to be explained," she said, where signage about them was in the process of being completed and finalised.
The overall project was a fraction of the initially proposed cost and "saved ratepayers millions", Mr May said.
According to a Wingecarribee Shire Council media release from June 1, 2023, an initial cost of $30 million was estimated overall for the project.
Read also: Moss Vale Golf Club Picker's Cup decided
Council secured a $7.5 million state government grant to help fund it, where more than $3 million was used as "endeavoured to get agreement on its ideas".
A total of $3.2 million was returned to the government, "as the scope of the project simply did not accord with the grant conditions", and $7.959 million was spent overall.
From this, $1.4 million was needed to remove and dispose of hazardous coal tar, and $1.3 million was provided by the state government to rebuild the car park adjacent to Bowral Station.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark our website
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Google News
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking news and regular newsletters