Plans to demolish and partially restore the kilns have been lodged. Photo: Bega Valley Shire Council.
Five historic Bega kilns facing a risk of “sudden and potentially catastrophic collapse” will be removed under a proposal lodged with the local council.
Bega Valley Shire Council (BVSC) has received a proposal for the demolition or replacement of multiple brick kilns at 564 Tathra Road in Kalaru (near Bega).
According to documents lodged with the development application (DA), all five of the remaining kilns will be knocked down.
One will be replaced with a replica.
The site, under the name ‘Brickworks’, is included on a BVSC planning document as a heritage item, according to a heritage assessment in the DA documents.
“The site provides evidence of the former Stafford’s brickworks, which played a vital role in the development of the local area since the early 20th century,” the report states.
“The site has long associations with the Stafford family, who are synonymous with brick making throughout the region.
“Since the conclusion of brick making at the site, it continues to supply building materials to the local area, including timber and concrete and up until recently remained associated with the family.”
However, the kilns are also described as being in a “poor to ruinous state”, with features such as eroded brickwork, structural movement and partial collapse affecting them.
All of the kilns have been unused since about 1990.
This report also recommends LIDAR scan (a type of laser scan that measures how long it takes for light to be reflected) be carried out, that one of the kilns be reconstructed, a photo record of the kilns be created before their demolition and a heritage interpretation plan be prepared for the site.
A structural engineer has assessed the kilns’ condition, with their report stating that partial deconstruction (if not outright demolition) would be needed if the kilns were retained.
All five are described as being structurally compromised.
“The steel tension tie rods are the main elements providing structural stability to the kilns; if these were to fail, the kilns would have the buttresses collapse,” the engineer’s report states.
“The condition of these steel tension rods is not confirmed.”
The DA documents propose that, should the proposal be approved, the bricks from the kilns would be saved and used in the construction of the Bega Valley Circularity Centre in Bega.
Meanwhile, a condition report lodged with BVSC as part of the DA states that it isn’t considered feasible to repair them.
“Due to the condition and risk of sudden and potentially catastrophic collapse they should be demolished,” it recommends.
“If works were to be undertaken, it would be such that the aesthetic and any historic importance of them would be lost in the substantial modifications and stability measures.
“Regardless of any remediation works undertaken, due to the age and materials used in the construction they would continue to deteriorate and eventually require demolition.”
The site is zoned as E4 General Industry, the application documents state.
A separate DA is expected to be lodged to cover the replacement kiln (in a similar position to where the second kiln is on the site).
“The selection of kiln number two is due to the best visibility from the street, and in an area that can be accessed by the public,” an environmental report states.
“Our client also intends to have a pictorial [and] written history of the kilns on-site when the replacement kiln is constructed.”
The DA, with the application number 2025.293, is under consideration by the council. People can have their say through the council’s DA enquiry tool until 11 pm on 18 December.
