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For many years there has been debate about whether the markets building should be renovated or knocked down. And whether the markets would stay in the existing building or be housed in a newly built multipurpose building.

Old Bus Depot Building – Provisional Registration on the ACT Heritage Register

The ACT Heritage Council decided on 15 July to provisionally register the former Bus Depot Building to the ACT Heritage Register. The Council noted ‘that the engineering and construction of the 1940-41 fully welded rigid portal frame exhibits a high degree of technical achievement and design quality, demonstrating new invention and application in Australia at the time. The design of the fully welded rigid portal frame is of exceptional interest as the earliest notable example of a steel fully welded rigid portal frame in Australia’. The Council also noted ‘the orientation of the building in relation to the former railway siding and Wentworth Avenue’.

The LDA supports the decision for the provisional registration of the features identified in the Statement of Heritage Significance.

In its response to the ACT Heritage Council, the LDA noted the significance of the 1940-41 fully welded portal frames and their relationship with and orientation to the former railway siding.  In conjunction with development opportunities in proximity to the building, adaptive reuse options are being considered. A Conservation Management Plan, to be prepared by consultants engaged by the LDA, will provide greater clarity as to the elements of greatest value for retention and enhancement.

Old Bus Depot Building – Maintenance Work

In early 2010 the need for maintenance work on the Old Bus Depot Building was identified as part of an ongoing audit of ACT community facilities. A contractor was engaged to clean and seal a section of the aging roof, remove hazards within the building and apply signage on structures within the building.

During this work, LDA ensured that ACT Environment Protection Agency, ACT Health and ACT Workcover were fully briefed on the maintenance work and the strategies for risk mitigation. The work is now complete and clearance certificates have been issued by the contractor. Air monitoring throughout the remediation process remained within control levels and sampling of filters revealed no asbestos fibres.

Consultants have also undertaken a tagging and labelling exercise to identify and make known asbestos materials that shall not be touched by building users or contractors without proper referral to LDA.