An advertisement was placed in last week’s Gazette calling for feedback.

The Office of Environment and Heritage says the railway group is under consideration by the independent Heritage Council of NSW for removal from the State Heritage Register on the basis that the group may not meet the threshold of state heritage significance.

“The Council is seeking input to assist its consideration of the heritage status of the station,” a spokesperson said.

“The review was triggered by an application from Railcorp to amend the site curtilage. Should the Heritage Council decide to remove the item from the State Heritage Register it will continue to have statutory heritage protection as a local heritage item.”

The spokesperson confirmed that the entire Wauchope Railway Station Group is being considered for removal. The group includes the railway station and platform, former Station Master’s Residence, former Gatekeeper’s Cottage, Goods Shed, railway bridge over the Hastings River, railway yard and a series of contemporary business premises.

Wauchope Historical Society president Jean Hegarty says the organisation believes the removal of the group from the heritage register is ‘a bad thing’.

“If the site is eventually sold off, the historic goods shed could be demolished …. they could just put a bulldozer through it,” she said.

“The society will be opposing it and will be writing a submission.

“Of course, even if it does come off the state register, the site will remain on the local register.

“It is just a pity that the original station was replaced with a brick building too.”

Mrs Hergarty said she was not sure where the impetus for the removal from the register was coming from.

“It seems a bit out of the blue,” she added.

The society has looked at options for the goods shed over a number of years. Those plans have been stymied by the fact it sits on Railcorp owned lands who want commercial rates.

Mrs Hegarty said the society had looked at heritage grants to restore the goods shed but the ownership of the land was a hurdle.

Another interested party is The Gateway Group who have previously floated several ideas for the railway precinct.

Spokesperson Don Neil said his group continued to have discussions with ARTC who have the lease over the area.

“As The Gateway Group, we offered to restore the goods shed and to have use over it for various purposes,” he said.

Local resident Garry Bruem is another with a keen interest in the site. He supports beautifying the area.

“It’s the gateway to Wauchope and the wider Hastings when travellers use the railway network,” he said.

“The first thing they see (when they arrive) is the old goods shed.

“I think the place has to be used and it would be marvellous if it was beautified with a park or shaded trees. It could be transformed into something beautiful.”

Submissions close on November 6, 2016.