Armidale Old Courthouse future to be decided after consultation with community

The heritage-listed old courthouse at 100 Faulkner Street has sat dormant for nearly 10 years after being replaced by the Moore Street courthouse in 2014.

It's been more than a year since the Armidale Regional Council secured the old Armidale courthouse as a public asset for the people of the region, but there have been no further developments with regard to future uses of the site.

Council officially acquired the building precinct for $1 from Property NSW in June 2022 after extensive consultation and campaigning by council for the building to be retained as a public asset due to its historic value.

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ARC ensured that the site would not be sold privately by Property NSW, however, forecasted costs of holding the courthouse in its current state were estimated at about $50-60K per annum.

At 162-years-old, the building is the oldest public building in Armidale and the site, including the old sheriff's office and has been listed on the NSW Heritage Register.

At the time of the sale, Armidale mayor Sam Coupland noted that council would not be able to make any significant upgrades to the building without adequate funding through land and property sales supplemented with NSW Government grant funding.

"It was determined that any capital expenditure required to restore the old Armidale Courthouse must be grant funded," said the ARC in an official statement.

"Despite, the dire financial position council were in, there was a clear view that such an iconic building should be retained in public ownership."

Ongoing consultation with the community and with interested stakeholders on the repurposing of the building was high on the agenda after the sale, however, council's financial position has meant that there were restrictions surrounding the possibility of reopening the building in any meaningful way.

Gordon Cope from the group Armidale Live, says council accepting the state government's offer of the old Armidale courthouse was good news.

'The old Courthouse is one of the finest examples of its kind in the state, structurally, it is in great condition," Mr Cope said.

"We feel that multiple community purposes with community management should be the way forward, our vision is for all-inclusive community use.

"We presented a management plan to council in 2022, which outlined our visions for the Old Courthouse, unfortunately, a reply has not yet been forthcoming," he said.

Council undertakes general repair and maintenance to prevent further deterioration of the building and has lodged a grant application with the NSW Government in December 2022 for external works and painting with a total project cost of $300,000.

According to the council, It is expected that the outcome of the application will be heard sometime in August.

The gardened area outside the courthouse on Faulkner Street and the backyard behind the sheriff's office recently received minor cosmetic surgery with workers tidying up and pruning the overgrown vegetation.

"Before we decide on any future uses of the old Courthouse, the community needs to be consulted to share their views and ideas on any potential future uses or initiatives," a council representative said.

In September, Armidale Regional Council is planning an open day and tours of the old courthouse where the community can ask questions and share their ideas on what they think the building should be used for.

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