MidCoast Council recently completed restoration works at the war memorial, just before Remembrance Day, but the works will now lead to more than beautification.

These works, stage one of a multi-stage process, focused on the upper levels of the memorial to restore the cross with swords and the concrete surrounds of the base of the cross, as well as the concrete country names.

While the scaffold was erected for the restoration, council took the opportunity to have a structural engineer inspect the memorial.

“The engineer has raised concerns about the lower marble panels, in terms of their attachment to the memorial,” Dan Aldridge, manager community spaces, recreation and trades, said.

“Work to reinforce the attachment of the marble panels was to be undertaken in the second stage of the project, but given the engineer’s report, we have taken action to temporarily secure these panels and fence off the memorial for public safety.”

These panels are an integral part of the memorial and it is council’s priority to ensure they remain in place for future generations.

Council is currently seeking funding for the second stage of the project from the NSW Community War Memorial Fund which assisted with the first stage of the works.

“We hope to have funding approval early in the New Year and the works completed before Anzac Day in 2019,” added Dan.