Ballarat councillors award tender for Lake Wendouree lighting project

Councillors voted six to three in favour of awarding the tender to Bendigo-based De Araugo and Lea Electrical Contractors at a price of about $2.2 million.

The motion was moved by south ward councillor Ben Taylor and seconded by south ward councillor Des Hudson with councillors Samantha McIntosh, Amy Johnson and Mark Harris voting against awarding the tender.

In a last-ditch effort to prevent the project from going ahead, opposing community members have requested an interim protection order from the Heritage Council of Victoria, took to the lake last week to protest the lighting project, the design of the lights and environmental concerns and even consulted legendary naturalist David Attenborough on what course to take.

The project will see 225 light poles installed around the six-kilometre Steve Moneghetti Track, along with another seven along Morrison Street to link the lake and Victoria Park.

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Lighting up the track was first identified as a council priority in the Lake Wendouree Master Plan that was endorsed by council in 2015.

Initial consultation identified the installation of lighting around the lake as a top priority for the community with 81.7 per cent of 1800 responses to the master plan in favour of the project.

In the lead-up to the 2018 state election, both Labor and the Liberal-Nationals coalition committed to funding the lake lighting project.

Following its election commitment, the state government is contributing $2.5 million to the project with council also chipping in $300,000.

Trial lights were installed along a small stretch of the track in December 2020, with Heritage Victoria granting a heritage permit for the project in September 2021.

Councillors then voted to grant a planning permit for the project, with councillors voting five to three in favour of the planning permit.

The project was put out to tender in November 2021 with work expected to begin in autumn and take about 12 months to complete.

The council officer report says the works are subject to management conditions "approved through a Planning Permit, Heritage Victoria Permit, and Cultural Heritage Management Plan".

The lights will operate from dusk until 10pm each night and will improve the safety for runners and walkers to use the lake into the evening and could even be used to hold night markets or other events.

The matter was discussed during a marathon item which lasted more than 90 minutes before a decision was made with six members of the public making presentations, along with a number of additional public questions before the item was heard.

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In moving the motion to award the tender, Cr Taylor said all discussion in relation to the type of lights and whether or not there would even be lights has "been and gone".

"We have been through this for four years... tonight is the final step to delivering what we said we were going to do four years ago. This is a great moment for the community, this is a great moment for council to get on with what we said we were going to do," he said.

In support of the motion, north ward councillor Peter Eddy said council needed to make decisions and move forward.

"In fairness to those people that have taken the time, effort and cost in submitting tenders, it would be an insult not to award a tender for any reason other than a commercial reason," he said.

Speaking against the motion to award the tender, north ward councillor Amy Johnson said there was concern across the community regarding the project.

"I'm in favour of lighting the lake... we should be extending the hours this asset can be used by the community. There are people from all different parts of the community that have heard about it and don't support it which has come as quite a surprise to me," she said.

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