Bass Coast councillors vote to demolish Kilcunda Viaduct Bridge
A historic yet decaying regional Victorian bridge will be torn down, despite a large community push to restore it.
Bass Coast News
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A historic yet dilapidated Victorian bridge will be “reluctantly” demolished despite a large community push to restore the local landmark.
On Wednesday Bass Coast councillors voted to demolish the Kilcunda Viaduct Bridge after concerns were raised about the risk it presented to public safety.
The ex-railway bridge has not been in service for about 50 years and was considered a significant piece of Kilcunda’s history.
Demolishing the bridge was estimated to cost about $32,000 while the price of restoring it ranged between $800,000 and $2m.
Councillor Jan Thompson said the only option was to “reluctantly” demolish the structure.
“It is very sad that it has not been maintained and it has come to this decision,” she said.
An engineering report in 2021 stated the bridge was in “extremely poor condition”.
In 2022, fencing was installed to prevent access to the structure and in 2024 a bridge engineer found the bridge had decayed further, with the bridge’s northernmost span collapsing and the southernmost span at risk of collapse.
Unlike the nearby Bourne Creek Trestle Bridge, the Kilcunda Viaduct Bridge was not heritage protected.
Councillor Jon Temby said he remembered travelling through the bridge at a young age and was sad that the only option was to lose it.
He said he would be open to seeing the space turned into a public space with an information board about the bridge’s history.
A petition to preserve and restore the historical structure garnered more than 1200 signatures.
Petitioners said demolishing the bridge was “not just an affront to the local people but also a massive loss to the historic integrity of Kilcunda”.
Councillor Tim O’Brien said preservation of the bridge needed to begin 20 years ago for it to stand a chance.
“We’re too late … regrettably an important link to our history will be lost,” he said.
All councillors, except Brett Tessari, voted in favour of demolishing the bridge.
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