Benalla station’s last remaining heritage railway signal box circa 1870s is in the path of the Inland Rail Project development.

Local community group Better Benalla Rail claims that Inland Rail has decided the most convenient way to deal with this was to get an engineer’s report that declared the signal box needed to be demolished.

For long-term Benalla residents this is a replay of the unnecessary demolition of the station’s grand 1888 ballroom and tearooms to make way for a car park in 1974.

BBR president Suzie Pearce said Benalla has lost enough of its heritage buildings.

As a result, the group has sought assistance to save the signal box from heritage authorities.

The signal box is already listed under the local heritage overlay, although it is not declared as having state significance by Heritage Victoria.

In making its decision to not include the structure on the Victorian Heritage register, it undertook its own inspection.

Much of its findings disagrees with the engineer's report undertaken by Inland Rail.

The Heritage Victoria reports stated the structure was in ‘fair to good’ condition and was structurally sound.

However, the decision to not include it in the register was based in its historical and cultural significance, not the state of the structure.

Additionally, the National Trust has twice written to the Inland Rail, in December 2023 and March 2024, supporting retention of the signal box and confirming its support for saving it.

According to BBR, the ARTC has made disingenuous claims about the condition of the signal box. BBR seeks the best result for the Benalla Station Precinct and believes that the requirements of rail freight, passenger rail and tourism can coexist.

Ms Pearce said the heritage 1874 station is a major gateway to the city and is of added value now that the Melbourne to Yarrawonga heritage train stops for passengers to have lunch and explore Benalla.

“But (Inland Rail) continues with its plans to demolish the signal box and is offering Benalla an interpretative memorial display of the mechanisms,” Ms Pearce said.

“BBR continues to argue for relocation of the signal box elsewhere in the station precinct as has occurred at several other railway stations.

“It’s a matter of lifting the signal box with a crane and setting it down, preferably next to the planned new second platform so that the bottom floor could be repurposed, perhaps for bike storage.”

BBR is not giving up on the signal box and has recently had a second meeting in Canberra with the office of Catherine King, Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.

“The final permission to demolish the signal box resides with the Victorian Minister for Planning, Sonya Kilkenny,” Ms Pearce said.

“And BBR is seeking an urgent meeting with her as well as petitioning State Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes.

“BBR is calling on the Benalla community to make a final urgent effort to save the signal box. ”

BBR is urging local people to email their reasons to save the signal box to sonya.kilkenny@parliament.vic.gov.au

You can offer your feedback to Inland Rail via inlandrail.com.au/where-we-go/projects/beveridge-to-albury/regions/north-east-victoria/benalla-signal-hut-interpretation-plan/

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Wednesday, 19th June 2024

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