At around midnight on April 21, the old Mullumbimby railway station building, used by a range of community groups, was gutted by fire.
The building is heritage listed under the Heritage Act 1977, and is also listed in Byron Shire Council’s Local Environment Plan (LEP).
A Transport for NSW spokesperson told The Echo that, ‘A decision is yet to be made about the future of the Mullumbimby Railway Station, which was substantially damaged’.
Part of history
The Mullumbimby Chamber of Commerce has told The Echo that they support the old Mullumbimby railway station building being ‘reinvigorated’ for community use.
‘This is an important part of our heritage,’ said Chamber President, Paul Prior.
‘While the roof, windows and internal elements of the building were destroyed by the fire, the structure appears to have held up, and it is essential that we retain and repair this vital part of Mullumbimby’s heritage’.
‘As we’ve seen with the development of the Tweed and Casino to Bentley rail trails, these buildings play an important part in revitalising our towns, creating character, and providing potential business and community spaces for the future.
Mullum Chamber supports a rebuild
‘The chamber is in full support of keeping and rebuilding the old Mullumbimby railway station building for future use by the community.’
The NSW Police investigation concluded the cause was an electrical fault, and not considered suspicious.
‘UGL Regional Linx maintains the property, and has commissioned an independent consultant to assess the damage and heritage significance. UGL is now reviewing the findings before making recommendations,’ said the Transport for NSW spokesperson.
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