Ballarat abuse victim survivors memorial proposed for Victoria Park needs more government funding

The $1.5m 'Continuous Voices' memorial proposed for Victoria Park has been in the works since 2019, but still needs $500,000 additional funding to go ahead as planned.

Ballarat Grammar teacher Blake Curran started fundraising in March 2019, suggesting a permanent monument could be a way to help a "broken" community move forward from "years of historical abuse by many institutions".

City of Ballarat Council and the state government got on board, pledging $520,000 and $500,000 respectively for a memorial acknowledging and honouring all survivors of sexual abuse.

The council this week confirmed production of the final memorial "will not commence until full costings are completed and funding has been finalised".

Community Wellbeing Director Matthew Wilson said the council was in the process of identifying an expert design panel, and expected to release a brief calling for design submissions before the end of the financial year.

But the project might have to change if external funding does not come through.

"A further contribution of $500,000 is still being sought for the project, however if this funding is not secured, the City of Ballarat will adjust the scope of the project and make provision across future budgets to ensure its delivery," Mr Wilson said.

The council identified the memorial as an advocacy priority last October, stating in a 'Priority Projects for Advocacy' document it was seeking a funding commitment from the federal government similar to its own $520,000 contribution.

Local multi-disciplinary artist, sexual abuse survivor and Continuous Voices Community Reference Group member Rebecca Russell said federal government funding would be a powerful show of acknowledgement.

"If they do put the money forward, it's showing that there's some sense of acknowledgment that this has happened and continues to happen and that institutions across the country, regardless of what they are, have all been part of enabling child sexual abuse to continue," Ms Russell said.

"For them to acknowledge that this is not ok, by funding a memorial, is a really good symbol as much as anything."

Fellow survivor and Reference Group member Trevor said the memorial would mean different things to different people, but to him it represented "vindication" and that survivors were "heard and valued".

"For me, it's all about hope: bringing hope to people who are battling to find it themselves," he said.

"With this acknowledgement and with the support that comes, we can bring the hope that it won't keep happening, that changes in the community will be significant enough to have eyes opened so it doesn't keep happening.

"And of course, hope for healing and that sense of community and the healing that comes from that community."

Survivor and advocate Phil Nagle has not been directly involved with the memorial project but strongly supports it, telling The Courier this week: "It's definitely one of the best causes out there".

The council says the community benefit of the memorial would be in "providing an opportunity to deepen understanding of the tragic consequences and intergenerational trauma that come from sexual abuse".

The proposed location, within the landscape of Lake 2 in Victoria Park, was chosen as a "peaceful setting allowing for quiet reflection".

The design will be informed by conversations with more than 50 survivors who spent 12 months exploring ideas of acknowledgment, memorials and telling survivor stories as part of the Continuous Voices Arts Project.

Federal Member for Ballarat Catherine King was contacted for comment.

Affected by this story? There is help available.

You can phone the Ballarat Centre Against Sexual Assault, in Sebastopol, on 5320 3933, or free-call the crisis care line 24 hours on 1800 806 292.

Or phone Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380, or Relationships Australia on 1300 364 277.