The Eveleigh Railway Workshops Complex is listed on the State Heritage Register as an item of exceptional heritage significance. The complex is recognised as one of Australia’s finest industrial heritage items. Due to flooding issues within the complex, including within the Illawarra Dives and in front of the Eveleigh Paint Shop, temporary drainage improvements were proposed by Next Rail to help alleviate this issue.

The Paint Shop building was constructed during the 1890s expansion of facilities at the Eveleigh Railway Workshops Complex, that also included the expansion of the Carriage Sheds and various other buildings.

Commencing between 1926-27, the brick lined tunnels associated with the Illawarra Dives were constructed across the existing rail network to facilitate the transfer of steam trains to pass beneath the suburban traffic from the northern to the southern side of the rail lines. Other than electrification of the tracks, there have not been any major modifications to the dives themselves.

After completing the Statement of Heritage Impact and the successful application for a S.60 Approval from Heritage NSW, MTS Heritage was engaged to prepare a photographic archival recording of the drainage works locations in front of the Paint Shed Building and within both dives. The heritage approval required that a recording of the proposed work areas was to be undertaken before, during and after the completion of the drainage works.

Working closely with both the environmental and construction teams at Next Rail, MTS Heritage coordinated access to the Paint Shop Building and both tunnels to complete the required photographic archival recording during network shutdowns. The completed report was submitted to Transport for NSW and Heritage NSW to fulfil the requirements of the S.60 Approval.