Decision On Relocating Old Mataura Railway Station Expected Soon

Wheels are starting to turn with the job of relocating the old Mataura Railway Station building.

In June last year whatsoninvers reported that the Gore District Council voted to buy the old building from KiwiRail for $1.

The building was surplus to requirements for KiwiRail although they still have rights to the railway station property.

Matuara Community Board chairman Alan Taylor told whatsoninvers the Board looked at a few sites where the old building could be moved to.

He says it’s just not practical to leave the building at it’s current site.

Mr Taylor says the site they are looking at is not that far from the present location.

He says the owners of the site live overseas and it’s been quite a job to track them down.

Alan Taylor says the search for a new site has been hampered by a few holdups including the Covid-19 lockdown.

However he says just last week they felt that they were starting to make progress.

Alan Taylor says from here on they will be able to speed up the process to relocate the old but historic building.

He says the Board hope to have the issue of re-positioning the station building resolved in the next week or two then they can start the process of obtaining the relevant consents.

Mr Taylor says it’ll be much easier to make use of the building at the proposed new site.

He says two building removal companies have told him that shifting the building shouldn’t be to difficult.

The railway station was a critical focus point for passenger and freight transport for Mataura and surrounding districts for many years.

The 99 year old station is a Class 2 heritage building.