Contractors are working to tear down a building at the historic Port Huon Wharf after it was deemed unsafe.
The decision comes after recent maintenance work at the Port Huon Cool Store revealed “significant structural problems” with the 1950s-era structure.
Following recommendations from engineers and the Huon Valley Council, Huon Aquaculture, which purchased the wharf from the Hobart Ports Board in 2009, is overseeing the demolition.
Prior to the sale, the site was described as a dilapidated ‘unsaleable asset’.
“Our team is aiming to salvage and recycle as many materials as possible from the building for the community,” Huon said.
2021 reports in the company’s ‘The Huon Story’ publication said “substantial upgrades” had been made to the facility that made it “safe to say that the wharf will be around for many more generations to come”.
The Cool Store was one of the last remaining buildings from the wharf’s original complex, of which others have since disappeared.
Historical records detail the port’s role in exporting Tasmanian apples to Europe via large vessels in the post-war era.
The apple industry’s peak in 1964 coincided with the port’s heyday as a dedicated fruit export facility, ‘The Huon Story’ said.
Most recently, public access to the site was restricted in 2018 after 92 years due to safety concerns.
