The petition was put to Moyne Shire Council last week, and must “sit on the table” for a month as per meeting procedures.

What happens next is any-one’s guess, but Cr Jordan Lockett said it was great to see the community passion for the historic building.

“I’m excited by this petition,” Cr Lockett said, adding that he had perused the 476 signatures and was pleased to see “about 90 per cent were from Port Fairy”.

“People are standing up and saying do something.”

The petition calls on the council to “access available funding for the renovation of the old Railway Goods Shed to preserve its appearance and form”.

It also asks for the progression of plans for the community to use the shed for “displays promoting attractions throughout the Moyne Shire, storage space the Visitor Information Centre needs for brochures to promote Moyne Shire further, (and) display and storage of larger heritage artefacts”.

The petition is the brainchild of local historian Marten Syme.

Built in 1890, the shed is considered significant for historic, social and architectural reasons at a state level.

Aside from being the last substantial evidence of the end of the Melbourne-Port Fairy line, it is the best surviving example of a railway goods shed built during the rail expansion of 1876-1907 and is largely unaltered from its original design.

The heritage-listed building has been the subject of some works over the past decade, including the removal of asbestos, replacement of roof sheeting, re-stumping and re-leveling, and spouting and downpipe works.

Mr Syme said something needed to be done to preserve the shed as it was “slowly degrading”.

“At the moment it’s storing old vessels, old furniture and material,” he said.

“It’s an eyesore, the paint is peeling off it. There are weeds growing up through the bottom of it because council is really paying it very little attention.”