Railway eyesore plea

A GROUP of disgruntled Granton residents are calling on the State Government to get TasRail to develop a plan to remediate the disused Granton railway station, which they say has become a blight on their community.

Originally a depot for trains, the site on the Granton foreshore has not been used for decades.

Many locals believe the dilapidated site — a 50m chain fence surrounding machinery — could be better used than for gathering dust and a large amount of rubbish. Resident Matthew Kelly said he had had discussions with TasRail but had been left disappointed.

“They just aren’t properly engaging with us, we’ve been told that we have to live with the problem,” Mr Kelly said.

“If it was in the middle of nowhere I think it wouldn’t be an issue, but it’s in our backyards and it’s just an eyesore that is really detrimental to the community.

“It’s actually bringing down the rest of our community, it has a lot of potential but needs to be remediated first.”

Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said the ageing infrastructure was holding the area back.

“A growing number of people, including young families are moving to the area. They should be able to enjoy the foreshore but at the moment, their walking, cycling and playing options are limited,” Ms O’Connor said.

At recent Budget Estimates hearings Infrastructure Minister Rene Hidding said he would be prepared to engage with Ms O’Connor to look at potential uses for the site.