The City of Ballarat is planning to carry out works to shore up the dam of The Gong in Buninyong.
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A "master plan" for the work is currently out for public consultation, including on the City of Ballarat's MySay website and in the Foodworks supermarket.
The proposed works would include the deconstruction of the current drystone retaining wall, which would then be rebuilt. New groundcover plants would be installed on the dam slopes to prevent erosion.
Under the plans, the toe of the dam slope would be 2.85metres further into the gardens once construction work has taken place.
The appearance of the dam's slopes would change completely, with the top "much more visually exposed" according to design concepts.
In a video, a council officer describes the dam as a "major risk" for the City of Ballarat, with 211 people vulnerable if the structure fails.
The Friends of Buninyong Garden have cited seepage from The Gong as an issue for several years.
In annual reports, they have also said they want to put together a comprehensive masterplan outlining the future of the gardens.
Cornish Street runs over the structure, which divides the informal gardens surrounding The Gong to the more manicured layout of the lower gardens.
Currently a walled garden - only a few metres from the foot of the dam slope in the formal gardens - has been fenced off. There are visible cracks in the concrete wall surrounding it, with a sign informing visitors that the area is closed while "conservation options are investigated".
The Gong evolved from mineral springs to become a reservoir in the mid 19th century. According to water-side signs, it was originally constructed to supply a brewery in 1850 then was used as a water source for the rapidly increasing town.
Its capacity was greatly increased after a fire in 1876.
Consultation on the project carries on until this Friday (December 20). Works on the dam are due to begin early next year.
- See the council's MySay website for full details and to respond to the consultation.
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