Ted Higginbotham, who completed an archaeological management plan for the Goulburn region in 2010, has been appointed to oversee excavation.

Council general manager Warwick Bennett said the digging was necessary to relocate a sewer line, which would help facilitate the centre’s construction.

“It’s delicate work. We’ll be going down 300mm to dig a trench and that will happen in conjunction with the archaeologist,” he said.

“It will involve three layers and once done, it will give us a clear path to call for tenders in construction (of the centre).

Mr Higginbotham will be especially looking for signs of notorious bushranger Thomas Whitton’s grave. Whitton was hung for his “life of villainy” on March 19, 1840 after being incarcerated in the nearby Goulburn Jail, which at at that time was off Sloane Street, behind the old courthouse.

While there’s no certainty on the grave’s location, the council is not taking any chances. Mr Bennett said Mr Higginbotham would also be looking for any foundations from the old jail.

A consent condition for the project, approved last December, states that work must cease immediately and “relevant authorities” contacted if any archaeologically significant items are discovered. The council would then have to implement any requirements of the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage.

Mr Higginbotham is well known in his field. He has undertaken numerous heritage and archaeological projects for government and other clients.

Meantime, the council is awaiting the outcome of a $4.5 million State Government grant application. Last year it applied to the Regional Cultural Infrastructure Fund and was advised in December that it had made the shortlist.

Mr Bennett said this involved another round of documentation and he didn’t expect to be advised of its success or otherwise until May. He told The Post it was not holding up work. The council still has to meet some consent conditions before it obtains a construction certificate.

Mayor Bob Kirk has previously expressed frustration with the State’s grant application process, saying applicants should not have to lodge two rounds of paperwork for a project.

The council earlier secured a $10 million federal government grant for the $11.4m project.

Meantime, it has scored funding success in other areas. Councillors heard at their meeting on Tuesday that the State had awarded $896,000 from its Regional Growth Fund for Victoria Park’s redevelopment and $123,605 for a new toilet block and recreational vehicle dumping station at Tarago.

An $896,000 application towards stage two of the Wollondilly Walking Trail was unsuccessful. However it has applied for $937,147 for this project under the federal government’s Building Better Regions Fund, expected to be announced in March.