Town Hall refurb near completion

Southern Downs Regional Council workers have been busy in the past two weeks making sure the Warwick Town Hall forecourt works are completed in time for Jumpers and Jazz.
The forecourt concrete has been poured, ventilation channels have been installed, selected paving repairs have been completed and footpath drains and grills have been installed. These are the latest stages of Town Hall restoration works to be completed.
A low pressure wash to remove a build up of grime has given the building a fresh look.
“I’m quite excited for the building that the works are nearing an end,” said Greg Thouard, the council’s manager of facilities.
“With the underpinning works done as part of the first stage of works, the building is now standing on stable feet and damage caused by ground movement will be minimal, if not nil, into the future,” Mr Thouard said.
“A great number of keystones, springer stones and cornices have been re-bedded and now sit firmly in place, holding the building nice and tight together,” he said.
A major task being undertaken behind the scaffolding in recent weeks involved re-pointing of mortar between sandstone blocks. This mortar has deteriorated over the past 130 years, allowing moisture into the building through gaps and increasing building moisture and resultant damage.
An inspection of mortar joints in 15 years and then every 20 years thereafter is planned for inclusion in the council’s Asset Management Plan.
“I want to use information gained through this current restoration to put in place a future asset management plan for the building,” Mr Thouard said.
“The building has been there for 130 years and, with proper asset management, there is no reason that it cannot still be there in another 130, 260, 390 years or longer,” he said.
With the Warwick Town Hall ready for Jumpers and Jazz, the Warwick Art Gallery director Karina Devine is gearing up to install woollen art just before this year’s festival opens.
Following Jumpers and Jazz, stonemasons will return to finish works at ground level. This will be followed by installation of additional ventilation grills to help air flow under the building. Further footpath works will complete the Town Hall restoration project.