We’ve been working to improve the safety of our heritage-listed Ovoid Sewer Aqueduct and open public access to the Barwon River and 66 hectares of surrounding land. The Aqueduct carried the Geelong outfall sewer across the Barwon River from 1915 to 1992, when it was decommissioned and replaced by a pipeline built under the river. Safety risks posed by falling concrete from the deteriorating structure have meant the area around the aqueduct has been closed to the public since 1995.
Once the works are completed and the site is made safe, we aim to progressively open up public access to the area.
The initiative will also support separate work that is underway to create a new cultural and community precinct that will encourage public use of the wider area.
Led by Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, in partnership with Barwon Water, The award-winning project is rehabilitating a 66-hectare stretch of the river plain known as Porronggitj Karrong (place of the Brolga) and forms a component of the larger Kitjarra-dja-bul Bullarto langi-ut Masterplan for the Barwon through Geelong parklands.
This will ultimately create a balanced ecological system, incorporating Wadawurrung Cultural values, for the whole community to connect, listen and learn from Country.
Project update
Heritage Victoria Permits Barwon Water to Demolish the Ovoid Sewer Aqueduct with conditions
Barwon Water has been granted a heritage permit that allows it to safely demolish the Ovoid Sewer Aqueduct near Breakwater with the retention of pier bases at ground level and the stair landings at either end including stabilisation works to those features. The permit also allows for opportunistic salvage during demolition and delivery of a comprehensive heritage interpretation program.
Barwon Water lodged a permit application to Heritage Victoria in September 2025, seeking to remove the aqueduct’s 14 towers and spans, while retaining and activating other elements through a comprehensive heritage interpretation program.
The proposal followed extensive expert investigations and an independent review that found the deteriorating aqueduct could not be safely maintained and would eventually fail, even with structural propping.
The approved works also pave the way for a key stretch of the Barwon River corridor to safely reopen, more than 30 years after it was closed to the public.
Decision making authority Heritage Victoria publicly advertised the application and received 23 submissions. Following a detailed assessment, Heritage Victoria has issued a permit, which includes a number of conditions. To view the permit and to see a full list and explanation of the conditions, you can visit Heritage Victoria’s website at www.heritage.vic.gov.au/
Barwon Water will continue to engage the community and key stakeholders through the development of a Heritage Interpretation Strategy (HIS).
The Ovoid Sewer Aqueduct was decommissioned in the early 1990s, with the surrounding area closed to the public for safety reasons since 1995.
Once the works are completed and the site is made safe, this stretch of the Barwon River corridor and the broader Porronggitj Karrong area, will be progressively reopened for access. This is expected to commence sometime in 2028.
For more information on the project, please visit www.yoursay.barwonwater.vic.gov.au/aqueduct
Caption: Click and drag to interact with this 360 degree panorama of the Ovoid Sewer Aqueduct. The arrow shows the eighth tower. If you want to turn off the motion, press the 'pause' button in the top right of the image.
