Maitland City Council has voted to halt development work and hand back the historical Maitland Goal site to the NSW Government after declaring the project “unsustainable”.
In a statement, the Council said it would formally advise the NSW Government that it will not be continuing with redevelopment work and will request to relinquish its role as manager for the Crown Lands site.
The site, which is owned by the NSW Government, has been managed by the Council since 2001, with millions in operating costs borne by Council to keep the doors open before the closure of the site in early 2024 due to fire and electrical safety issues.
Council has also developed a scope of works required to bring the site up to contemporary operating standards. This revealed a cost of over $30 million.
“Council acknowledges the role the Gaol has played in the history of our city and the potential for future benefits from a tourism perspective,” said Council General Manager, Jeff Smith.
“At the same time, Council has a wide array of service delivery priorities, from road maintenance to addressing our infrastructure renewal obligations, and using ratepayer funds to bring the Gaol site up to standard is unsustainable and simply not a responsible option.
“We are hopeful that the State Government may be in a position to realise the future tourism potential of the Gaol at some point in the future.”
Following last night’s vote, the Council says it will now formally approach the NSW Government to engage in a dialogue about ceasing its custodianship of the Gaol site, whilst requesting to continue to manage the fenced portion of the site that the Barracks is situated on.
Mr Smith said Council’s long-term financial sustainability and resilience was “front of mind” in the decision.
“Our vision for Maitland is a connected city with thriving communities,” he said.
“To achieve this, we need to forge a resilient, sustainable future through informed planning and sound financial decisions that align with our community’s priorities and expectations.”
