There were mixed emotions in the NSW central tablelands community of Lithgow on Wednesday morning as residents watched parts of history disappear.
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It was a sight not to be missed as parts of the iconic Wallerawang Power Station faced detonation ahead of Greenspot's major restructure and refurbishment plans to repurpose the site into the home of a large scale battery.
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The blast was conducted in a safe manner with spectators finding views around the 500m exclusion zone, to see the 175 metre chimney stacks and Unit eight boiler house go down in dramatic plumes of dust.
Greenspot CEO Brett Hawkins said it was a significant event for the community to watch the demolition of iconic pieces of infrastructure.
"It's a time of mixed emotions because this site has provided so many opportunities for generations of people and dominated the skyline for decades," he said.
Greenspot has announced more demolition works are expected to take place throughout 2022.
Despite being bittersweet, Mr Hawkins said the decommissioning, demolition and rehabilitation works would pave the way for future generations.
"In doing this we hope it paves the way for the next generation, we're proposing to create an industry hub that goes to replacing the jobs lost when the power station shut in 2014 and adding more," he said.
He wanted to thank the community for their ongoing support since Greenspot acquired the site in 2020.
Lithgow City Council general manager Craig Butler, Wayne McAndrew and Ray Thompson were on site to witness the blast.
Mr Butler said the Power Station with coal mining and energy, had driven the industrialisation of Australia.
"We respect that this place has fantastic industrial heritage so it's a little bit sad to see this passing but we recognise that things are changing," he said.
"Lithgow has this foot in the past but it's looking to place a foot in the future and step into that, for that reason we're of course nostalgic about today but we're excited for the future," he said.
Alanna Tomazin
Emma Horn
Supervising producer of the national video team. Former features and weekender writer for The Daily Advertiser. Now based in the NSW Hunter region. Small, quiet, and a student of the Paddington Bear School Of Staring. Usually dressed in something colourful, always snacking on something homemade, often watching birds. Friend to most mothers and all dogs. Got stories? Get in touch. emma.horn@austcommunitymedia.com.au
