THE battle to save Corryong Recreation Reserve’s historic grandstand has taken a late twist with members of the town’s Man From Snowy River Bush Festival committee prepared to discuss an 11th hour rescue bid.
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The remainder of the 109-year-old grandstand is scheduled to demolished early on Monday.
But talks between the grandstand preservation committee and bush festival committee representatives took place on Sunday.
The bush festival is one of 14 groups which use the recreation reserve with its major event attracting up to 20,000 people to the Upper Murray every year.
Its committee had previously rejected an approach to write a letter of support to retain the grandstand.
Preservation committee member Phillip Coysh attended the meeting on Sunday and said the grandstand could get an unexpected stay of execution.
“They previously wouldn’t give us a letter of support, but it seems things might have changed and might put some pressure on in the right areas to stop the wrecking ball,” he said.
But the biggest stumbling block will be Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning calling a halt to the demolition.
The back section of the grandstand has already been removed by appointed contractor, Murphy’s Salvage & Demolition.
Mr Coysh pleaded with DELWP Hume regional director Christine Ferguson late on Friday to halt the demolition.
We’re begging them to call the dogs off,” he said.
“She believes that what has happened so far with the demolition has compromised the front part of the grandstand.
“But an engineer, who has inspected the building in the last couple of days, doesn’t agree with that assessment and thinks it still can be saved.”
Corryong Recreation Reserve committee of management Andrew Whitehead has defended the decision to demolish the grandstand.
“It had to get fixed or pulled down and unfortunately there hasn’t been a proposal put forward sufficient enough to change our decision,” he said.
“I understand the passion and good on them for having a go, but four years ago would have been a better time to have a real go.”
Member for Benambra Bill Tilley has also come under fire for the grandstand’s demolition.
“I encouraged the community in the very beginning to do something,” he said.
“There are no footings, it is just sitting on the ground and you can’t put $400,000 into it and leave it sitting there.
“The community has been consulted and there are some people in Corryong community who had a chance to do something about it when they sat on council.”
