The completion date of a recreated Gothic Fernery at the Botanical Gardens remains elusive, despite hopes for it to be finished in 2019.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In a written statement, the City of Ballarat simply said approval had been finalised through Heritage Victoria, and that the project was "on track for completion this year".
It means the building is unlikely to be up and running in time for the Begonia Festival next month.
No further information on timelines nor the reasons for the delay were supplied.
The Courier found more detail in the summer edition of Wellingtonia, the Friends of Ballarat Botanical Gardens newsletter, which included a report from the council's director of infrastructure and environment Terry Demeo.
He was quoted as saying Heritage Victoria had taken "significant interest in the internal landscape treatment of the fernery".
"As a result council has undertaken extensive in house research around the ferns that were originally housed within the fernery at the time of its inception."
After formal Heritage Victoria approval, the report suggested the next stage of the process would be to apply for a contract variation with Resicare Builders, who are due to install the structure.
I'm actually over the moon that we were able to get that project through in less than two years
- Cr Samantha McIntosh
This was earmarked for January with construction to start afterwards.
Cr Samantha McIntosh, who has long advocated for the project, said on Tuesday that she was unsure of the exact timelines. However, she said that it was quite an achievement to be able to gain Heritage Victoria approval within that time: "I'm actually over the moon that we were able to get that project through in less than two years."
She added she was very excited about the prospect of the installation of the fernery, which she said would be a spectacular addition to a heritage-listed area.
The ideas for revamping the fernery have been ongoing for almost 20 years.
Plans went through several incarnations including a more modern take, until the current 'Gothic fantasy' designs were confirmed.
Originally the Friends of Ballarat Botanical Gardens had hoped for $4m of funding to realise more modern designs.
However, when that money was not offered by either state or federal government, plans were adapted to the current incarnation.
It will recreate the Gothic entry of the original Batten Fernery, which was constructed in the 1880s and 1890s.
City of Ballarat put $1.4m towards the reconstruction, which was designed by the architect Andrew Fedorowicz.
The Courier understands that the structure will largely be prefabricated off site.
The demolition of the previous structure - thought to date from the 1950s - began in May last year.
The recreated Gothic entrance building is the first stage of the project, with a second phase planned for the main body of the fernery.
Details of that are as yet unconfirmed.
TIMELINE
March 2016: Ballarat's fernery set for redevelopment
January 2018: Three months to secure funding for fernery grand plans
October 2019: Victorian fernery returns to Ballarat Botanical Gardens
Have you signed up to The Courier's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.