Latest news with #restoration
ABC News
6 hours ago
- Business
- ABC News
Erosion and topsoil loss after flooding in western Queensland
While parts of western Queensland have turned green following record flooding, other areas could take decades to recover after the top layer of soil, which is vital for pasture growth, was washed away. The sheer velocity and volume of the floodwater washed away up to 40 centimetres of topsoil, along with fencing, roads and livestock. "We've got big areas here that have just lost all the topsoil," Quilpie property owner Jon Mooring said. "There's great piles of silt that are half a metre deep." The Bulloo River cuts through the middle of Jon and Kerri Mooring's Quilpie property, and during the March floods the river and a lake on the property met for the first time in 10 years. "When the two systems got together, it (the water) was rising nearly two feet an hour and the road of that went on for nearly four nights past our house," Mr Mooring said. Four years of restoration and thousands of dollars of work were washed away in just a matter of days as a "sea of water" took over the landscape. He said it could take up to 20 years for the landscape to recover from some of the more extensive flooding damage, such as scouring and erosion. Topsoil is the top layer of soil on the ground, usually up to 20 centimetres deep, and is rich in nutrients and organic matter, making it essential for vegetation growth. Environmental damage like loss of topsoil, erosion and weed spread were often the longest lasting impacts of widespread flooding. Geoff Penton, operations manager at natural resources management group Desert Channels Queensland, said the impact of the floods varied. "In some areas, it's a great season and in other areas, it's devastating, and they can be literally feet apart," Mr Penton said. "There's many areas where the water, both the volume and the velocity, has stripped the topsoil off entirely. "Some places where that erosion is settled it's drowned pastures in a foot of mud." Mr Penton said it was likely to take "several seasons" to see pasture response, and it would be a long and expensive road to repairing the environmental damage. "What will help accelerate this is if we can secure some flood recovery investment from the state and federal government," he said. While he acknowledged the current funding options from the state and federal governments were a start, Mr Penton said attention would need to shift to recovering the environment. "The environmental recovery usually comes substantially later," Mr Penton said. "That's under consideration by both levels of government at the moment." The Queensland Reconstruction Authority said in a statement that $186.75 million in extraordinary assistance had been approved in response to the floods through joint Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA). "The Australian and Queensland governments are working together to provide all support necessary for flood recovery in western Queensland," the statement read.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Landmark rail cafe restoration reaches milestone
Work to restore a 178-year-old building is progressing as the first cast iron sections have been returned to the site. Built in 1847, The Mermaid Cafe at Cleethorpes Railway Station is undergoing a major restoration to its wood and ironwork. The cast iron conservation is being carried out by specialist company Calibre Metalwork, with the aim to ensure the corrosive sea air does not attack the metal framework. Work began in December and is due to finish in the summer, North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC) said. The process of cast iron conservation included blast cleaning the metalwork to remove the paintwork layers and any corrosion, before applying chemicals to remove any remaining salt. Repairs were then made if required and it was cleaned again before being primed and painted. Stonework around the building had also been recreated by Paul Booth Stonemasonry. By the end of the restoration, the project would see conservation work to the iron framework of the building, the timber elements and re-roofing. The cast iron gutters and downpipes were also set to be replaced. Andy Chant from Calibre Metalwork, said: "It's been a challenging project overall – the thing with these types of project is they're not meant to be dismantled in pieces." He added: "It's a job we've really enjoyed doing, though – and as long as it's maintained, it should be fine for another 150 years." Carol Heidschuster, project manager for the Cleethorpes Townscape Heritage programme, said "a real collaboration of contractors" have been involved in the work. "The building will be completely transformed when the scaffolding comes down," she said. The listed building on the North Prom sea front was constructed as a waiting room for the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway. It was set to be repainted in these company colours. Funding for the restoration work came from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The Railway Trust as part of the Discover Cleethorpes Heritage Townscape Heritage Programme. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Historical cafe to be restored to former glory Funding bid to improve Cleethorpes boating lake North East Lincolnshire Council The National Lottery Heritage Fund
BBC News
20 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Cleethorpe's Mermaid cafe restoration reaches milestone
Work to restore a 178-year-old building is progressing as the first cast iron sections have been returned to the in 1847, The Mermaid Cafe at Cleethorpes Railway Station is undergoing a major restoration to its wood and cast iron conservation is being carried out by specialist company Calibre Metalwork, with the aim to ensure the corrosive sea air does not attack the metal began in December and is due to finish in the summer, North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC) said. The process of cast iron conservation included blast cleaning the metalwork to remove the paintwork layers and any corrosion, before applying chemicals to remove any remaining were then made if required and it was cleaned again before being primed and around the building had also been recreated by Paul Booth the end of the restoration, the project would see conservation work to the iron framework of the building, the timber elements and cast iron gutters and downpipes were also set to be replaced. 'Real collaboration' Andy Chant from Calibre Metalwork, said: "It's been a challenging project overall – the thing with these types of project is they're not meant to be dismantled in pieces."He added: "It's a job we've really enjoyed doing, though – and as long as it's maintained, it should be fine for another 150 years."Carol Heidschuster, project manager for the Cleethorpes Townscape Heritage programme, said "a real collaboration of contractors" have been involved in the work."The building will be completely transformed when the scaffolding comes down," she listed building on the North Prom sea front was constructed as a waiting room for the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway. It was set to be repainted in these company for the restoration work came from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The Railway Trust as part of the Discover Cleethorpes Heritage Townscape Heritage Programme. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Wall Street Journal
2 days ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
It Was One of Missouri's Most Endangered Properties. Now It's Asking Millions.
Just over a decade ago, the roof on a circa-1880 house in Malta Bend, Mo., was at risk of collapse. Plaster was falling off the home's graffitied walls, windows were broken, and original fireplace mantels had been stolen. In 2014, the nonprofit Missouri Preservation declared the vacant house one of the state's most endangered historic properties. 'It had been really pulled apart piece-by-piece by scavengers,' said Kelee Katillac-Heiffus of the architecture and design firm Heartland Historic Homes, which later worked on restoring the Second Empire-style brick house.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Mansion left 'gutted' by works to be restored
A 17th Century Grade II listed building in north-west London is set to be restored to its former glory after works carried out by the owner left it "literally gutted". Harrow Council's planning committee has approved plans for the complete restoration of The Rookery, a Georgian mansion house and stables in Stanmore. It was originally built for the owner of the adjacent Clutterbuck Brewery – Lord Clutterbuck – and remained in the same family for several generations. In recent years a series of "unlawful works" were carried out, the committee was told, including using décor described as "fake old" and removing original plaster from the walls, which had done "harm to the listed building". A new owner of The Rookery took possession of the site in 2022. Listed Building Consent, required to make changes to a listed building, was not obtained before work began. The refurbishment was halted by conservationists and enforcement in December that year, and has ceased ever since, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Consent has now been granted for internal and external alterations to take place, including a full interior "strip out" – much of which has already taken place – and renewal of the decoration. The plans outline how the building will be restored to "match the historic details" and "recreate the historic features" where genuine, according to Harrow Council's planning officer. The Rookery was described as of particular historic and architectural importance due to its age and association with the brewery, as well as its traditional architectural features and historic fabric. The planning officer said the restoration work would provide a "unique opportunity" to find out more information about the significance and historic development of the building as the modern surface fabric is removed. Asked if the building could be restored to its original state, the planning officer said it was "the best proposal [in] the moment we are at". No enforcement action was served when the works were discovered because officers sought "to get a better understanding of what had happened", but prosecution was still be an option, according to the committee chair Marilyn Ashton. She described the application as "a positive" in respect of moving things forward but called the building's current condition "a big disappointment" and that "accepting what's happened and being pragmatic doesn't make it all right". "Having studied the report very clearly, one might infer that we have still got the option of prosecution because it is actually quite a serious problem to do this to a Grade II listed building. It isn't just one room or just a small feature, the whole place has literally been gutted." She added there was "not much left of its historical value but hopefully we can put some of it back to make it look at least something like how it was". Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Harrow Council
