Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2015L00160:body:0:p20
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2015L00160
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 58574–61880

use identified)
(Old Sleeping Quarters)
 Wilkins                    Demolition (assuming no use identified)
(Old Sleeping Quarters)
 Shackleton                 Basic maintenance                                         Retention and refurbishment as old-style accommodation without facilities (should demand exist and workplace health and safety allow)
(Old Sleeping Quarters)
 Dog Hut and Platform        Demolition (likely unmanageable asbestos hazards)
 Hangar                     Basic maintenance                                         Materials and/or vehicle storage
 Cosmic Ray Observatory     Ongoing use as a research facility                        Ongoing use as a research facility
 Wombat ('Science')         Demolition (unsuited to refurbishment; asbestos hazard)
 Transmitter Building       Demolition (assuming no use identified; asbestos hazard)
 Old Auroral Observatory    Ongoing use as a hydroponics facility                     Ongoing use as a hydroponics facility

Table 5. Forecast future of early station buildings and structures.

Funding constraints
The AAD as the agency responsible for the site needs to balance the needs of supporting and conducting science with its obligations to preserve the heritage values of the station (coupled with the demands of other sites including Mawson's Australasian Antarctic Expedition (1911-14) huts at Commonwealth Bay).
The AAD is not specifically funded to undertake heritage conservation activities yet the repair and conservation of buildings at Mawson will likely involve employing heritage specialists; the installation of heating and fire protection systems; and increased power generation to provide hot water and heating – amounting, potentially, to hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. (When the ancillary costs of supporting a person in Antarctica are factored, the cost of one trade hour is in the order of $200/hour.)

Environmental factors
Winds at Mawson can gust between 25 to 50 m/sec and cause abrasion from wind-driven snow and ice ('corrosion'), presenting a significant threat to wooden structures.
Strong wind can also delay work on buildings for days through to an entire summer season and as a result of exposure to wind chill it can make work physically difficult for expeditioners. The harsh wind conditions were acknowledged by early expeditioners and as a result processes and techniques were developed to allow for rapid assembly of prefabricated panels.
The winds drive snow drift up and into buildings. Minute particles can penetrate weaknesses in the skin of buildings gradually freezing the walls and interior. Freezing and thawing processes have significant impacts – de-lamination of the skins of buildings, and internal damage to paintwork and fittings. Ice build-up underneath buildings can also cause floors to warp and lift.
Over the winter months, access to many buildings in the village precinct is blocked by snow drift – presenting a challenge for their continued year-round use.
The dry environment also creates fire risks. Timber buildings are especially vulnerable.

Inadvertent damage or impacts
Emergency interventions; actions to move snow or divert melt water to prevent accumulation under and around buildings; maintenance to address structural deficiencies; and conservation works