Investigating the condition of the Yass Railway Pump Weir was considered as an urgent business during the most recent meeting of Yass Valley Council.
Council reports the railway pump weir located at the junction of Bango Creek and the Yass River was installed as one of the hundreds of weirs for the Great Southern Rail Line in 1876.
The water from the weir was pumped to a tank at the junction and rewatered the main line trains and Yass town trams. The weir was decommissioned after the age of steam, but it does not appear to have ever been transferred to Yass Council, although Council has completed minor repairs over the last 25 years.
A drop in the water levels undermines the banks all the way back to O’Connor Park and the weir has suffered damage.
Council resolved to determine the ownership of the weir and either undertake an assessment or request the owner to undertake an assessment, of the condition of the weir as an appropriate first step to determine the need for any remediation works to address this issue.
Image – Railway weir downstream from Cliftonwood – Image courtesy of Yass & District Historical Society
