Council removes Begonia Princess

THE Begonia Princess will be lifted off Lake Wendouree this morning after Ballarat City Council ran out of patience with its owner Greg Austin.Divers will venture into the lake’s icy waters at 7am today to begin the removal process, which will initially be at the council’s expense.However, Ballarat mayor Craig Fletcher said it was expected Mr Austin would eventually reimburse them, with negotiations over the bill to continue.Cr Fletcher said it was expected to take several hours to remove the stranded ferry, which has a tree growing through its hull.It will then be towed to Durham Point and removed by industrial crane before being stored at council’s impound yard in Gillies Street.“Council is at the stage where we’ve tried to work through the issues with the owner,” Cr Fletcher said.“As a last resort, we’ve taken action to remove the boat from the lake.”He said all the “checks and balances” would be in place to ensure the boat was removed safely, with WorkSafe also involved in its removal.“Council has wanted to see an outcome where the boat is removed in a safe manner. We’ve given the owner every opportunity to remove it.”A 28-day ultimatum to remove the ferry ran out two weeks ago, with Mr Austin initially claiming he couldn’t get the boat through the lake’s weeds and then that he needed a specialised marine diesel mechanic to repair the motor.The Begonia Princess was stranded on Lake Wendouree in 2003 by the drought.Council has issued Mr Austin with several orders to remove the ferry, as it is blocking the Golden City Paddle Steamer Society boatshed, but Mr Austin has always claimed the water level was too low.Once the lake began to fill, council issued a final ultimatum in late April.Mr Austin was yesterday not returning phone calls.