Heritage Mitcham railway station upgrade delayed because council and businesses can’t agree on how to pay for it

A PLAN to give old, disused buildings at Mitcham railway station a new lease on life has been delayed due to disagreements over how it should be funded.

Mitcham Railway Station. Source: Google Street View

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A PLAN to give old, disused buildings at Mitcham Railway Station a new lease on life has been delayed due to disagreements over how it should be funded.

More than a year after Mitcham Council announced its intention to open buildings at the station – possibly as a cafe or art gallery – it will again call for expressions of interest from people keen to revitalise the spaces.

The council first sought expressions of interest in July last year and met with interested parties over September and October.

But, according to a council report, the applicants were reluctant to commit to the upgrades because it was not made clear who would pay for the initial work and any other ongoing costs.

Gault Ward councillor Stephen Fisher, whose area includes the railway station, said the delay was justified.

“It’s taken a long time, but I’m not critical,” Cr Fisher said.

“It’s a fine line between having to spend potentially tens of thousands of dollars in order to collect rent from a new venture.

“The costs of actually modifying the building were quite substantial while keeping the important heritage aspects.”

He said it could cost more than $30,000 to upgrade the existing buildings.

Mitcham Mayor Glenn Spear said the process had taken “far too long”.

But he did not know if it was viable to resue the buildings, given the potential cost to the council.

The 1883-built station is still used by commuters but the council-owned buildings – including an old house, ticket office, female toilets and sheds – have long been closed to the public.