"The RTA and their contractors should be congratulated for the excellent job they have done in moving back the church and Tahlia and enabling this part of our historic streetscape to be retained. However, it will be a very great shame if the Community Hall, or Mechanics’ Institute as it was originally known, is not moved back too as this is probably the most important historical building in the mid mountains,"

"Council is still deliberating on a decision about whether or not to demolish the Hall despite evidence that it was once on Council’s Heritage Register – a clear indication of its importance. The fact that the Hall seems to have now disappeared from the Heritage Register is of serious concern to us and is also somewhat convenient if a recommendation for total demolition is made. Other residents and interest groups in the Mountains have criticised Council for the lack of effort made to protect the things which make the Mountains special and attract visitors to the area. Most recognise that heritage and streetscape are the main drawcards, yet if this building is demolished, along with the demolition of the Lawson highway shops and Bellevue Park Explorers’ monument for highway widening, Lawson will have lost almost all of its history on the highway."

“Council put the effort and funding into the restoration of the Wentworth Falls School of Arts (1915), so why not the Mechanics’ Institute which belongs to the same historical movement? This Hall is a historic community facility, built by the community for the community on community land in 1903. It is also a very noticeable and aesthetic part of the streetscape and town character of Lawson. It deserves to be given the same treatment, not simply demolished. Let’s move it back too.”

“The RTA knows that the Lawson shops’ precinct to be demolished has been proposed for Heritage Listing by Blue Mountains City Council. The publication of the Draft Heritage Listings in February has rendered its Review of Environmental Factors out of date and incomplete, a point it will not discuss or acknowledge. The truth about the town’s historical importance is now out there and it is up to the RTA to respond appropriately instead of failing to confront this situation. Its refusal to answer questions or publicly comment about this is unacceptable.”

“The RTA is poised to publicly announce the green light for this project yet it has ignored community concerns and its duty to fully investigate all environmental impacts. Its failure to protect Heritage in this State is proof that its approach to Lawson has been one of blinkered cow-towing to Council whose 1999 decision to demolish the shops was made completely without reference to heritage studies. Now that the shops look set to become Heritage Listed it’s time for the RTA to take a leading stance over Council, to acknowledge the history of Lawson** instead of pretending it doesn’t matter and to insist upon a review of the decision. A credible alternative plan exists, but with the RTA in hiding it is impossible to adequately address any of the issues ACMMR has raised.”