"It has a beautiful feel to it," said Blake Curran, in reference to the small lake situated in Ballarat's Victoria Park.
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"We've talked about water having a calming, serene influence, so we believe this location is ideal."
Mr Curran, whose father, as a child, was sexually abused by three priests and eventually lost his life to the enduring trauma of the experience, is the driving force behind Continuous Voices - a grassroots project focused on establishing a permanent memorial in honour of all victims and survivors of sexual violence.
Conceived by the community nearly a decade ago, the project's end marks a national-first, so far as the memorial would not be confined to victims of child sexual abuse, as originally intended, but rather recognise the full panorama of pain, indignity and intergenerational pain occasioned by all forms of sexual violence.
"We need to recognise that [the trauma of sexual violence] is multi-generational and multifaceted," Mr Curran said.
"It's not just the first-line victims, like my father, who are impacted; it's their children, grandchildren and wider families."
In consultation with the Ballarat survivor community, and with the crucial support of City of Ballarat, Loud Fence and the Ballarat Centre Against Sexual Assault, among others, the project recently identified the lake adjacent to Plane Avenue in Victoria Park as a potential site for the permanent memorial.
Having consulted with relevant stakeholders, including nearby residents, St Patrick's College and Newington Primary School, a recommendation to approve the proposed site and pursue funding options will now come before councillors at this month's general meeting on Wednesday evening.
City of Ballarat chief executive Evan King said the site had been carefully selected with a view to not only its prominence and centrality in Ballarat but, equally, its natural tranquillity.
"We wanted a healing place where people could sit and reflect in peace and quiet," he said. "But we also wanted a place that was accessible - that had a car park nearby and which was close to public transport."
"This could be a beautiful place of refection where people can come, not just from Ballarat, but from all over Australia."
Councillor Belinda Coates, who has long-championed the cause of victims of sexual violence, said the memorial would create a public space which serves to honour those whose voices have historically been silenced by the legal system and community norms.
[The memorial] would send a message of compassion and support that we see, hear and believe survivors and that we stand together with them.
- Councillor Belinda Coates
"It would send a message of compassion and support that we see, hear and believe survivors and that we stand together with them," she said. "This is especially important given Ballarat's connection with historical child sexual abuse."
Cr Coates added that the power of the public memorial would, in part, rest in its capacity to visually de-stigmatise the trauma of sexual violence, helping to ensure victims no longer suffered in silence and isolation.
"It's an opportunity to provide permanent visible recognition in support of survivors and, in an ongoing way, keep community awareness of the issue [alive]."
To that end, the site would, she said, lay the foundation for broader efforts around prevention of sexual violence within the community.
Council officers expect the project would cost within the vicinity of $1.5 million, comprising $520,000 in funding from City of Ballarat, with the balance sought through external government funding - something to which Cr Coates was confident would be forthcoming.
"There's a strong likelihood it will attract upper levels of government funding for the reason there's been a very strong recognition from state and federal government regarding the findings of the royal commission [into institutional responses to child sexual abuse]," she said, noting that one of its recommendations was to establish a national memorial acknowledging victims of child sexual abuse.
If, however, the project fails to secure external government funding, City of Ballarat will scale the project back by $500,000, sourcing the remaining funds from within its own budget across an additional financial year - meaning the latest the project would be delivered is 2025.
Should council approve the proposed site for the memorial, the project will move to the design and tender phases, involving the direct input of the survivor community throughout.
Regardless of its design, the long-term hope, Mr Curran said, was that the memorial would in time realise a significance beyond that it would be expected to carry in Ballarat and surrounding communities.
"We would like this to be a lighthouse project for other communities, like Newcastle [in New South Wales] and others, and one day achieve a national significance," he said.
Readers interested in contributing to the project can donate to Mr Curran's GoFundMe page or visit Continuous Voices for full details.
Affected by this story? Call Ballarat CASA Crisis Care line on 1800 806 292; Lifeline 13 11 14; Sexual Assault Helpline 1800 Respect (1800 737 732).
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