Cobdogla Museum site closes for public access

SA Water will work with volunteer group, the Cobdogla Steam Friends Society, on safely transitioning from the site of the Cobdogla Irrigation and Steam Museum in South Australia’s Riverland, following the utility’s decision not to reopen the site for public access.

The Museum has been closed since December 2022 due to flooding from the River Murray, to maintain the safety of the community, the volunteers and SA Water staff.

SA Water is custodian of the Crown Lands site where the Museum is located, which has historically been operated by the Society with financial support from the utility.

SA Water’s General Manager of Customer, Community and Engagement David Coombe said it was no longer viable for the site to continue operating.

“As an economically regulated water services provider, we have a responsibility to keep prices low and stable for our customers right across the state,” David said.

“Having spent recent months assessing the site, including damage caused by the River Murray floods, we have reaffirmed that the ongoing investment required to return the site to a suitable condition for safe access by the public is something that is not financially responsible going forward.

“We have invested considerable funds in remediating the site over recent years, and with further investment needed ongoing to ensure safety for public access, we have made the difficult decision not to reopen the site for access by the volunteers or the wider community.

“Since advising the Society in mid-2020 of the need to find alternative funding sources, we have unsuccessfully approached several parties to seek interest in taking over site custodianship and ongoing support for the Museum.

“We understand that this is a difficult time for the volunteers who have dedicated many years to operating the Museum, however we simply cannot compromise on public safety.

“We will continue to assist the volunteers in their investigations towards finding an alternative site.”

Under the Heritage Places Act 1993, SA Water as current site custodians will undertake regular inspections of the Humphrey Pumps and other heritage items housed at the Cobdogla Irrigation and Steam Museum, to ensure the site remains secure.

Infrastructure at this site is not a part of SA Water’s operational network and does not provide water services to local customers.

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