INSIGHT | Up to $450,000 needed to restore deteriorating, 140-year-old church roof

On this occasion, it is the slate roof that is the reason for secure fencing.

"We have been watching the roof for some time" Fr Mal Dunnett said, rector at Holy Trinity.

"We have known for a while that it was going to need significant restoration. Unfortunately, the recent wild weather with wind and snow has brought that to a head."

The slate tiles on the 140-year-old roof of the church building have begun to slip, with around twelve tiles lost in the recent weather.

Although occasional minor tile slipping has occurred over the past few years, the sudden increase in slipping tiles has created an urgency around restoration, and a significant safety risk to people entering and leaving the building.

"We have had a WHS consultant and heritage architect in to assess the roof again in the last week, and there is concern that falling tiles could cause significant injury," Fr Dunnett added.

"We have been advised that the only safe option is to secure the building while we look to completing the roof restoration in conjunction with the National Trust Holy Trinity Conservation Appeal."

The Trinity Foundation was established in 2005 with the original aim of restoring the roof of the church building, but detailed assessments of the building showed other critical problems.

These included urgent restoration of the tower in 2007 when some masonry worked loose and fell onto the roof and footpath, and then a restoration of the eastern wall and sanctuary area of the church, and comprehensive restoration of the building foundations to prevent rising damp.

Mr Ernest Shave from the Foundation said: "The roof restoration is the last major piece of conservation work for the Foundation. It needs to be carried out under the supervision of our Heritage Architect and working within the National Trust guidelines."

Estimates indicate that around $450,000 will be required to fund reslating of the roof.

The Foundation has just over $200,000 held in a joint bank account with the National Trust.

"We were unsuccessful in the last round of NSW Heritage Grants" Mr Shave said.

In the meantime, Fr Dunnett explained that all the services held at Holy Trinity would continue.

"The church building is closed, but the church continues to come together for all our usual services in the Holy Trinity Memorial Hall," he said.

"So despite the construction fencing, it is business as usual".

Further information can be obtained by contacting the Parish Office: 6363 1623