Engineers have begun work to stabilise Breakwater’s 108-year-old ovoid sewer aqueduct in preparation to demolish four spans of the heritage-listed structure.
Barwon Water last November confirmed the $6.5 million demolition of four of 14 spans would begin later this year, subject to weather, after Heritage Victoria approved the project.
“[Contractor] McMahon Services is now working with our engineers on geotechnical work and construction methodology for the propping of the aqueduct,” Barwon Water managing director Tracey Slatter said last Friday.
“We plan, subject to weather and river conditions and the very complex nature of the work, to finish stabilisation of the structure by 2022-23 and removal of the four spans by 2023-24.”
The works are set to progress despite community group Friends of the Barwon River Ovoid Sewer Aqueduct’s long-running campaign against the demolition.
The group describes the project as “heritage vandalism” and argues the four spans could be stabilised for half the cost of the demolition, citing previous assessments of the structure from 2017.
Meanwhile, Barwon Water announced this week it would form a community reference group as part of its plan to open up public access to 66 hectares of land surrounding the aqueduct.
The precinct, dubbed Porronggitj Karrong (place of the Brolga), would acknowledge Aboriginal culture alongside the aqueduct’s European heritage values, Ms Slatter said.
She said she welcomed expressions of interest from the public in joining the community reference group, which she described as an important part of the project.
“We see possibilities for Porronggitj Karrong to be a drawcard for the region and a source of pride in the community,” she said.
Ms Slatter said Porronggitj Karrong was a key action in Barwon Water’s reconciliation action plan.
