Wollongong City Council is seeking feedback from the community about their preferred option for Helensburgh Cemetery's Portico.
The structure at the entrance to the cemetery was damaged by an oversized vehicle in 2021 and has been closed for the past few years.
An alternative accessway over Crown Land has been used for vehicles entering the cemetery and Council is looking at a long-term option for the site.
The community is being asked to share their preference of two options. The first is to demolish the damaged portico completely, and the second is to repair it and reconstruct a new access road.
"Through this consultation we want to understand from the community which of these two options is their preferred choice and then we're able to move forward with the required archaeological and heritage approvals for that option,'' Wollongong City Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM said.
"We know there is some interest in this matter in the community and Council has already sought an independent assessment of the portico which established there was no historical significance to the structure.
"So, in that sense, there is no reason why we can't demolish it and reconstruct the sealed access road as we reinstate the entrance gates. However, we want to know if there is a wish that the 1960s structure be repaired.''
Option A is the cheaper of the two options with the plan not only demolish the damaged portico but to reinstate the entrance gates and put in new plantings along Cemetery Road. This work could be completed faster as some of the initial investigations like the heritage impact have already been completed.
Option B would only involve restoring the portico and also building a new access road on the western side for oversized vehicles. The current, temporary road is not a long-term option as it isn't under Council's direct ownership or control and this limits our ability to maintain and improve it as needed.
Option B would involve the removal of a tree and some vegetation and places the road close to existing graves. Timber bollards would be installed along the new road to protect existing known grave sites. As with Option A, Council has plans to design a new entrance to the bush cemetery that meets current safety and access standards.
It is possible during construction for Option B works on the new road could uncover previously unidentified grave sites as the work is within the oldest section of the cemetery which has marked graves dating from the 1890s.
