The Lake Wendouree and Victoria Park Link Lighting project has been officially switched on.
Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison and City of Ballarat Mayor Cr Des Hudson marked the completion of the lighting project by attending Lake Wendouree on Friday morning to see the lights officially switched on.
The 225 green light poles around the lake and seven light poles along Morrison Street will now light a route around the Steve Moneghetti Track and from Lake Wendouree to nearby Victoria Park, creating a safer and more accessible environment for walkers, runners, rowers and the broader community.
Powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, the LED lighting will turn off at 10pm each night and turn on each morning at 5.30am. The lights will then turn off in the morning via a sensor in the light fitting that measures the level of natural light.
The $3,170,000 project is jointly funded by the State Government ($2,500,000) and the City of Ballarat ($670,000).
Lake lighting was identified as the number one priority in the City of Ballarat's Lake Wendouree Master Plan in 2017 following extensive community and local resident engagement.
The planning phase of the project considered a number of key aspects including a Heritage Impact Statement Assessment, an Arboriculture report, and a Biodiversity Impact Assessment.
The City of Ballarat has worked with regional contractor DeAraugo and Lea Electrical, which utilised local sub-contractors and suppliers, to protect and maintain the health of trees and wildlife throughout the construction project.
The contractor's works have complied with a Tree Management Plan and a Construction Management Plan, which also meets the Australian Standard 4970 Protection of Trees on Development Sites. The works were also guided by a project arborist.
The project also went through a consultation and approval process with the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners with a Cultural Heritage Management Plan in place for the delivery of the works.
City of Ballarat Mayor Cr Des Hudson said it's exciting to see the lake lighting project switched on.
"Lake lighting improves safety and encourages more people to get active year-round," he said.
"Residents and visitors to Ballarat can now make use of our most popular recreational location for a few extra hours a day, particularly in the evenings and during the winter months.
"Thank you to the project team, including contractor DeAraugo and Lea Electrical for delivering the lake lighting project with the utmost care for the environment, wildlife, lake businesses and our community."
Minister for Regional Development Gayle Tierney said: "The Victorian Government is activating the Lake Wendouree precinct in Ballarat to support the city to be a year round destination for locals and visitors alike."
Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison said: "I'm so excited to see this project now complete and to be able to switch on the lights. This has been a priority project for our community and makes this precinct safer and more accessible in the early morning and late afternoon."
The works included 6.5 kilometres of electrical conduit and the installation of 232 electrical pits, footings, poles and light fittings.
Wet weather and in-ground conditions including rock caused some delays to the project with works onsite ensuring that they minimised any impact to the surrounding environment. Construction began in February 2023 and was originally scheduled to be completed by the end of winter, dependent on the availability of materials, transport timeframes and weather conditions during construction.
The Lake Wendouree and Victoria Park Link Lighting project is another example of the City of Ballarat's commitment to delivering a better Ballarat.
