Ballarat Botanical Gardens Irrigation Renewal

The Ballarat Botanical Gardens Irrigation Renewal project was identified as a priority in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens Masterplan 2025-2045.

The project will address the ageing irrigation infrastructure throughout the existing Ballarat Botanical Gardens. The current system was installed in the 1980s and presents reliability issues, including a lack of programmability for critical watering needs during peak season.

The upgrade will fully replace the existing irrigation within the entire gardens precinct, excluding the nursery site near the Robert Clark Horticultural Centre.

This will provide modern irrigation to about seven hectares of land in the gardens precinct.

The upgrades will result in improved water usage efficiency and improved programmability, including alerts relating to irrigation faults or disruptions.

The upgrades will use modern irrigation methods, including subsurface drippers and targeted pop‑up sprays for lawns and garden beds.

• Modern, future‑ready control system, with a new decoder‑based controller that allows staged expansion and uses the latest technology.
• Improved monitoring and faster fault detection, thanks to upgraded irrigation diagnostic systems.
• Better water efficiency, using targeted irrigation methods that apply water where it’s needed most.
• More accurate usage data, through upgraded and reliable water‑use meters.
• Greater system flexibility, allowing operators to easily adjust settings for seasonal and operational needs. 

• 15.29 kilometres of new subsurface irrigation pipe
• 10.17 kilometres of sub surface irrigation line
• 3.51 kilometres of control wiring
• 1721 new irrigation spray heads

Total Investment: $2.016 million, fully funded by City of Ballarat