Storm damage clean-up moving forward steadily but more work ahead

Efforts to clean up the fallen and damaged trees at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens are moving along swiftly, with a view to having at least some of the gardens open to the public by the end of this week.  

The Botanical Gardens and City of Ballarat Arboriculture teams, in conjunction with external contractors, are currently removing loose branches hanging from trees and have picked up fallen branches in the area surrounding the Robert Clark Conservatory.  

Along with the central gardens area, the Robert Clark Conservatory remains closed to the public while work is undertaken internally and externally to clean the building. 

A much-loved Araucaria bidwillii at the start of the Prime Minsters Avenue will need to be removed and temporary fencing has been installed blocking access areas that are still affected by fallen trees.  

The remainder of the gardens will reopen as works continue and new areas are made safe.  

City of Ballarat Chief Executive Office, Evan King, said the amount of work already undertaken at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens and other areas of the city is very impressive.  

“I cannot commend highly enough the hard work and incredible results of so many City of Ballarat work crews helping to clean up the city,” he said. 

"From our waste truck drivers who picked up hundreds of bins blown over by the wind on the Friday post the storm event, our facilities team that ensured our critical services could operate, to our arborists, contractors and Park and Gardens teams who have been tending to hundreds of damaged trees over the last week and a half. 

“The difference the crews have already made is staggering, but the amount of work left to do to be able to ensure safe use of the area is also a really big task. 

“We will keep the community updated with the progress of this work as it continues.”  

The Craft Council of Ballarat are planning to reopen the Adam Lindsay Gordon Cottage and the Friends of the Gardens will also have plant sale trolleys out near the conservatory this weekend.  

The Avenue of Honour has also suffered significant loss and damage along the entire 22km stretch of road.  

About 60 trees have been damaged and deemed dangerous so far, with City of Ballarat arborist crews continuing their assessment. 

Clean-up of the avenue will be able to commence once the crews are able to progress from an emergency response mode of work into recovery. 

Remembrance Drive between Alfredton and the Western Highway is safe to drive, however as storm recovery works commence, traffic control measures will be in place.  

It is expected the recovery and clean-up works needed along the Avenue of Honour could take up to eight weeks to complete with new damage still being discovered. 

The main recovery works are expected to be complete within the next month, with crews expected to remain in the area up until Christmas. 

“A lot of the feedback we’ve had from long term City of Ballarat staff on the ground is that this was probably the most damaging wind event in living memory in Ballarat,” Mr King said.