A FORMER children’s home in South Bathurst is set to be demolished under current plans by the property’s owner.
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Hargraves House, located at 20 Leena Street behind Bathurst South Public School, was established in 1971 as a residence for primary school aged children who were wards of the state.
The Department of Youth and Community Services run property could house up to 24 children at a time, with residents attending a range of local schools.
In 1988, the home was closed as part of NSW Government’s policy to close residential homes and move children into foster care.
Recently, Bathurst Regional Council called for tenders to demolish Hargraves House on behalf of Charles Sturt University (CSU) which currently owns the property.
“Works are to include the demolition and removal of all six dwellings, concrete driveways, paths and structures and the removal of all non-native trees,” the advertisement in the Western Advocate announced.
“Dwellings are known to contain asbestos as per Asbestos Identification Report provided as part of tender documentation.”
Bathurst Regional Council general manager David Sherley said council was managing the demolition on behalf of CSU.
A CSU spokesman said while all buildings would be demolished, he was unable to confirm what the university’s future plans were for the large site.
The facility poses an unacceptable risk to staff and students at the university in its current state.
- Charles Sturt University spokesman
“The future of the site is currently under review,” he said.
“The facility poses an unacceptable risk to staff and students at the university in its current state.”
While the CSU spokesman was unable to confirm what plans for the future may include, he could however talk about the past.
“The university acquired the site from the NSW Government during the early years of the growth of the university,” he said.
“The university acquired the site to provide an additional stock of off-campus student residential accommodation.
“The site ceased to be used in 2015 when the demand for this style of off campus student accommodation no longer aligned with accommodation needs and requests of the university’s student cohort.”
For more information on the project, download the tender documents at no charge in Bathurst Regional Council’s e-tendering portal at www.tenderlink.com/bathurst.
The tender for the demolition of Hargraves House close at 4pm on Tuesday, January 23, 2018.