THE community are petitioning against the demolition of the Kilcunda viaduct bridge - sited adjacent to the Nyora – Wonthaggi Rail Trail - urging the Bass Coast Shire Council to preserve and restore the iconic landmark, and the online petition has over 1660 signatures; however, the council stated that the bridge is not heritage-listed and fails to meet key criteria that determine its sustainability for replacement.
What does this mean? Well, more specifically, a spokesperson for the council confirmed the former rail bridge, built in 1910, had not been maintained since the closure of the Rail service in 1978 and has not played a transport or recreational function in the community since the closure of the rail line in the late 1970s and does not form part of the Rail Trail open today.
The bridge was taken over by the Council in poor condition in 1994, when part of the Nyora-Wonthaggi rail corridor was transferred to construct a Rail Trail between Anderson and Wonthaggi.
A Heritage Council of Victoria report stated that “many of the structures were neglected and unsafe.” The Rail Trail path alignment was chosen to avoid using the Viaduct Bridge, and so it has remained unused as a load-bearing structure since 1978.
However, within the petition, the community are questioning the council’s plans to demolish it, stating that it is a loss to the historic integrity of Kilcunda.
‘Instead of erasing it from our landscape, we demand the bridge to be restored,’ the petition states. ‘We urge the Council to pursue the option of restoration. To not only preserve the bridge but also dedicate resources towards the restoration of the surrounding vegetation, which is overrun with weeds.’
Council confirmed that in 2024, part of the bridge collapsed, and the remainder is now at risk of imminent structural failure. The bridge is currently fenced off, and a temporary exclusion zone is in place to protect public safety.
Despite this, it was stated that Council understands and respects the desire of many community members to see the bridge honoured, confirming that ‘Council will investigate opportunities to activate the site post-demolition, with potential for community spaces such as a playground, ball court or interpretive art. Community engagement on the future use of the site will begin once concept options have been developed.’
When questioning the reasoning behind not maintaining the viaduct bridge since being taken over by the Council, the shire stated that ‘The money spent on the Viaduct Bridge in recent years to ensure public safety, but without capital improvement, exceeds $175,000.’
However, now, the Council stated that specifically, the bridge fails to meet the key guiding principles outlined in the "Asset Management Policy for Infrastructure Assets 2022-2026" in terms of strategic purpose and financial sustainability to justify spending renewal funding on the bridge.
However, local residents, including John and Maxine Wright, continue to question the council’s decision, stating that the historic feature should be preserved for future generations.
“At this late stage, we hope that the council pause implementing the decision and look at options to preserve,” said John and Maxine.
“From our information, no research has been put into possible grants for the restoration of our 115-year-old bridge. Once gone, it’s gone forever, and we don’t believe that council has left no stone unturned to ensure it could retain the bridge for future generations.”
