As part of its permit for allowing reopening works on Lydiard Street to begin, Heritage Victoria has included a condition for a $600,000 security deposit to ensure works are completed "in full within the term of the permit".
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The state government has begun work on installing temporary boom gates at the Lydiard Street level crossing, which has been closed since a train crashed through heritage-style swing gates in May 2020.
The temporary gates will eventually be replaced with a permanent solution, with the project costing about $10.5 million in total, including new signalling.
The Heritage Victoria permit, released earlier this month, calls for all remaining heritage components to be securely stored in Wendouree for no more than 18 months, including the original cast gate posts and mechanisms, and the replica timber sector gates which were not destroyed by the train.
The permit also demands archival-quality photos of the heritage infrastructure, and supervision from approved heritage specialists.
The $600,000 payment will be released "subject to the completion of the works approved by this permit to (the Heritage Victoria) Executive Director's satisfaction".
"Within 15 months of the issue of this permit approval, an options paper assessing permanent options for the level crossing and the future of the salvaged heritage elements is to be provided to the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria for review," the permit states.
"The options paper must include an assessment of the feasibility of returning the level crossing to its earlier operational form with the timber sector gates in active use."
Save Our Station's John Barnes said the combination of a surety, and the massive fines threatened at the end of the permit, showed Heritage Victoria was "serious about (the boom gates) being a temporary arrangement".
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"It doesn't go as far as we would have liked, but we think it's a strong statement," he said.
"It's a matter of how determined Heritage Victoria are to see it through to the end."
Lydiard Street was planned to be opened by October, but construction is expected to be complete by the end of the year.
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