Driving Bendigo's Working History (Bendigo Tramways Depot Development)
The Bendigo Tramways Depot will undergo a major refurbishment thanks to a $1.5 million grant from RDV's Infrastructure Development Fund.
The $3.1 million project will redevelop Australia’s oldest operating tram depot into a centre for training, skill development and research, tourism, cultural heritage significance and heritage tram maintenance.
It will create a heritage rail and coach building business with international reach and reputation, generating new jobs on-site and flow-on benefits to suppliers across central Victoria. It will also create a new tourism product associated with the heritage tram experience, helping improve the visitor yield to Bendigo Tramways by providing an opportunity to extend length of stay and experience at the Tram Workshop.
The project includes:
- Extending Bendigo's 1903 tramways depot and workshop to provide additional and improved workspace including a modern spraybooth, enabling the workshop to expand employment and training, and to undertake a large increase in work for Australian and overseas rail operators
- Heritage conservation and OHS works throughout the depot to preserve the depot and to make it safer for staff, volunteers and visitors
- Works to allow visitors to safely tour through the depot and observe the workshop in action, creating a working tourist attraction where today there is only a worksite
- Redeveloping the administration building and research centre, and volunteers' accommodation
- Site upgrade/enhancement and landscape works, including the Bendigo Creek.
It is anticipated the project will create up to 60 jobs during construction and 22 new full-time jobs once the redeveloped depot is fully operational.
