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Stonemasons warn decades of expertise could soon be lost, with many experienced tradespeople nearing retirement. Their skills are vital to preserving the country's colonial-era buildings, but without a new generation taking up the heritage trade, some historic structures could be left to crumble.

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00:03On Albany's historic York Street, work is underway to restore a more-than-century-old
00:09church, a challenge that can only be undertaken by those with an understanding of traditional
00:14stone masonry.
00:16A very sound knowledge of material and technique is required.
00:20It's quite different from building new buildings.
00:24Skills now in high demand across the country.
00:27I don't think I'm going to be able to retire because my phone keeps ringing.
00:32The trade at risk of dying out, with younger generations choosing to take up more mainstream
00:37jobs.
00:38I'd like to see them with my skill set.
00:42There are more than 100,000 heritage-listed buildings across the country, which historians
00:48say are a vital part of the nation's past.
00:51So you can look at buildings and see how people lived, what size buildings they were, what
00:56scale, their changes of use.
00:59Without an urgent uptake in heritage trades, history could be left to crumble.
01:04If they're looked after, they will survive.
01:07But if they're not, they will decay and deteriorate.
01:10More training needed to get young people into the field.
01:13You're looking at around 30 people in the state that have those skills currently.
01:18And we're working with the industry councils and the training bodies to do a review to actually
01:25look into bringing in training at a national level.
01:27people.
01:28Pieces of history relying on the next generation.
01:31分ition delusional
01:32from another person to privatize the world.
01:35You

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