Community invited to shape future of Walka Water Works

newy.com.au – Maitland City Council has endorsed the public exhibition of a long-term Plan of Management for the heritage-listed Walka Water Works at Oakhampton Heights, ahead of community consultation running until Saturday 31 January 2026.

The draft Walka Water Works Plan of Management (PoM) sets out a vision for the landmark to become “the heart of healthy Maitland”, combining heritage, nature and wellness while guiding how the site is remediated and revitalised over coming decades. Council says the document responds to extensive community feedback and is intended to provide a sustainable framework for managing the former industrial complex, which is owned by the NSW Government but managed by council. The reserve, built in the 1880s as a pumping station to supply water to Newcastle and the lower Hunter Valley and now covering about 64 hectares, is regarded as one of the region’s most significant heritage sites.

Council said the PoM outlines a revitalised open space and community destination that celebrates Walka’s past while offering diverse recreation, strengthening community connections and supporting the wellbeing of residents and visitors. The draft sets out an “aspirational delivery model” and action plan to restore key buildings for future use and enhance Walka as a vibrant recreational hub, while balancing heritage conservation, environmental protection and community use, subject to future planning processes and approvals.

General Manager Jeff Smith said the immediate focus at Walka remained dealing with asbestos and ageing infrastructure, even as council looks further ahead. Due to asbestos contamination, the site was closed to the public in February 2022 and only partially reopened in December that year, with safe walking tracks and picnic areas made accessible while other sections remained fenced off.

“While we have the current, immediate issues of asbestos contamination and improving the structural integrity of the pumphouse and associated chimney to contend with, it’s also important to focus on what the community have told us is their longer-term vision for the site,” Mr Smith said.

Smith said community expectations were clear after an extended consultation process. “Meaningful and extensive community consultation has identified three key priority areas for Walka Water Works: to celebrate the heritage of the site, have nature at the forefront and to ensure there is free public access forever,” he said.

Walka Water Works sits on the north-western edge of Maitland and is recognised as one of the largest surviving 19th century industrial complexes in the Hunter Valley. The former pumping station was constructed between 1882 and 1887 to supply water to Newcastle and the lower Hunter, and was added to the NSW State Heritage Register in 1999. The heritage-listed complex is set within a broad reserve that includes a large reservoir, walking and cycling trails, picnic areas and a miniature railway.

To support the Plan of Management, council engaged consulting firm Ramboll Group as principal planning consultant after an extensive tender process in 2024. Ramboll has prepared a suite of technical studies and documents feeding into the PoM, including a master plan, conservation management plan, heritage interpretation plan, historical and Aboriginal archaeological assessments, a social impact study and a concept plan. Council says this work is intended to map out a clear pathway for remediation, restoration and future activation of the site.

Council said the PoM is required under the Local Government Act 1993 and the Crown Land Management Act 2016, reflecting Walka’s status as Crown land owned by the NSW Government and managed by Maitland City Council. The site’s inclusion as a priority project within council’s Partnerships and Advocacy Strategy is designed to strengthen its case for state and federal investment in remediation and future improvements.

In recent years council has sought additional funding for works beyond its usual remit, applying for several NSW Government grants to support urgent repairs and asbestos clean-up. Earlier this year the NSW Government, through Crown Lands, committed about $3.06 million to help address extensive asbestos contamination and support restoration at Walka, after a separate $10 million Regional Tourism Activation Fund grant linked to a previous accommodation proposal at the reserve was withdrawn.

The draft Plan of Management will be on public exhibition until Saturday 31 January 2026, with written submissions accepted until Friday 13 February 2026. Council is encouraging residents, community groups and visitors to review the documents and lodge feedback via its website or in writing, with input from the exhibition period to inform the final version of the Walka Water Works Plan of Management.