Heritage Minister James Griffin tours Goulburn's Kenmore Hospital after fire

James Griffin, the minister for environment and heritage, toured the sprawling state significant Taralga Road facility on Tuesday with Goulburn MP Wendy Tuckerman. Heritage NSW representatives, Mayor Peter Walker and council general manager, Aaron Johansson also attended.

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Speaking after the tour, Mr Griffin said he was "absolutely not happy" with the amount of work undertaken since Heritage NSW issued two heritage orders to the owners, Australia China International Holdings Pty Ltd.

"I'll be going back and talking to the (Heritage NSW) team and talking about what further action we can bring against the company," he said.

"Quite frankly, it is unacceptable that it's in the (current) state. I really want to send the message that if you own a site such as that, the community expects it to be given a level of care. There are questions to be asked on what they're not doing out there and I'll be working with Heritage NSW to ensure that every regulatory tool we have is brought to bear in an effort to have that site cared for."

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Heritage NSW issued the orders after a deliberately lit fire ripped through the former psychiatric ward 15 in October, 2021. The first - in December, 2021 - demanded that ward 15 be rendered safe and secure and a longer term solution struck for its structural repair. It also ordered minimum standards of care.

In April, 2021, Heritage NSW issued another order requiring minimum standards of care and maintenance for the wider site.

Mr Griffin said "every second window had been smashed." While some had been boarded up in a core group of significant structures to prevent smashing, the timber had "torn away" at the building fabric.

"It's a small thing but an important one," he said.

"There is a care and fragility to a heritage site and they're not paying as much attention to it as they should be."

Ms Tuckerman told The Post that roof repairs required by the order in the five central buildings had not been effected and water ingress was causing internal damage.

"We saw one today that still had shingles on it and that type of thing is of most concern," she said.

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The Post has been unable to contact the company for comment. However the publication understands a new fulltime caretaker has been employed and that consultants have prepared and discussed with Heritage NSW a series of recommendations and priorities to comply with the orders.

Mr Griffin said Heritage NSW had paid for security fencing around Ward 15, which would be recouped from the owner.

The Post reported in September, 2020 that vandals had broken into property in preceding weeks, lit small fires, ripped cedar skirtings, architraves and doors from walls, stolen marble fireplace surrounds and left holes in the floor and ceilings.

Heritage NSW intervened and ordered the company to maintain the properties.

Asked whether the state government should reclaim Kenmore Hospital for the community, Ms Tuckerman said she'd "love to see some work done in that area."

"But we need to go through the process (surrounding the orders) according to what needs to be done and we'll go from there," she said.

The state government sold Kenmore Hospital to private enterprise in 2004/05 for $3.1 million.

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Mr Griffin described the property as a "missed opportunity" for Goulburn and region. It contains some of the finest buildings designed by government architect, Walter Liberty Vernon, from the 1890s.

"It has some wonderful historic buildings that (reflect) an important part of our history but they are languishing in this state," he said.

Mr Griffin said the tour allowed him to see what was happening on the ground and reinforced the need for the state government to maintain pressure on the owner to "pull their socks up and get on with remediation or be open to exploring other opportunities."

Cr Walker said he was pleased the minister and Heritage NSW had visited.

"I think he was astounded at how large it was," he said.

"It's certainly something that needs to be preserved and that won't happen if things aren't put in place to allow its use," he said.

Cr Walker said parts of the property loaned themselves to development opportunities and he was keen to progress these with Heritage NSW if other parties showed interest.

While in town, Mr Griffin also visited Saint Saviour's Cathedral and district properties to view land rehabilitation work.

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