A significant milestone has been reached in the $13.5 million NSW Government and Dubbo Regional Council funded ‘Destination Dubbo – International Ready’ project, with the demolition of a building adjacent to the Old Dubbo Gaol now complete.
Council said the building’s demolition signalled major progress for the project, which includes the Old Dubbo Gaol Heritage Plaza development.
With the removal of the former building at 92 Macquarie Street, the skyline has been returned to what prisoners would have seen prior to the site being developed, giving a glimpse into the gaol’s history, Council said in a statement.
“This is a major milestone for the project,” said Dugald Saunders MP, Member for the Dubbo Electorate.
“It is both very visible for those passing by, and for those getting ready to commence work on the next phase of this very exciting and community significant project for the city’s CBD.”
The ‘Destination Dubbo – International Ready’ project, which includes the Old Dubbo Gaol Heritage Plaza development, will deliver some amazing cultural, destination and financial benefits for the CBD and Dubbo region overall, said Mr Saunders.
“There’s a real vibe and level of excitement of what’s to come as Dubbo continues to grow and develop, positioning itself to become the number one inland visitor destination in NSW and Australia, both for Australian families and international visitors to NSW.”
Council is preparing a development application (DA) for the Old Dubbo Gaol Heritage Plaza, which includes street furniture, landscaping and cultural interpretations.
“All of this critical work is setting the scene and forum for the largest First Nations kinetic public art project in regional NSW,” said Dubbo Regional Council Mayor, Mathew Dickerson.
“The kinetic artwork will be a significant element of the Old Dubbo Gaol Heritage Plaza development. The winning design, ‘Dadarri’, has been created and further developed by Dr Bianca Beetson, a proud Kubbi Kubbi, Wiradjuri artist.”
“We are extremely grateful to the NSW Government for their funding support of ‘Destination Dubbo – International Ready’. It is pleasing to see that this first stage of the project was delivered ahead of schedule and the overall development will deliver a significant cultural, social and tourism boost for the CBD and region.”
Councils said the demolition of the site had taken less time than planned with the initial project plan allowing 12 weeks to remove the former two-storey office building. Contractor, AGH Demolition and Asbestos Removal – six weeks into the work plan – has levelled the site to a concrete slab, it said.
The first stage of demolition required the removal of internal assets and structures, including stripping out internal finishes, the building’s plant room, the removal of the lift and former bank safe. This work also included removing all the mechanical equipment, and the lift shaft was also demolished last week.
Council and its contractor put a range of measures in place to ensure the protection of heritage structures and surrounding businesses during the demolition process.
“Where possible, and where safe to do so, every effort was taken to recycle materials, such as providing the Dubbo Men’s Shed with hardwood timbers from the site for use in their community projects,” Council said.
Funding for ‘Destination Dubbo – International Ready’ has been secured through Restart NSW ($10,147,000) with a co-contribution from Dubbo Regional Council ($2,536,760) along with the NSW Stronger Communities Fund ($900,000). The Old Dubbo Gaol Heritage Plaza is set to be completed in December 2022.
