Paul BALASSONE
While overtly a restoration project, the refurbishment of a cast-iron water tank located at the Western Treatment Plant in Werribee, Victoria, presented the opportunity to showcase heritage asset management at work by:
• continuing the organisation's journey away from a 'keep sake' mindset that understands heritage management to simply be about 'restoring old things'
• renovating the tank in a way that amplifies further heritage opportunities
• integrating a 'heritage' asset that no longer serves an operational function yet needs to be protected and preserved
This is a case study showcasing how through 'adaptive re-use', a heritage asset with no operational function can be given a new lease on life, thereby ensuring maximum and sustainable benefits to the business and our community.
The original scope of the project was limited to refurbishment of the cast-iron tank with no consideration given to its future use. However, the shortfall in this approach was soon realised. Without any planned future use, the business would derive very little benefit and importantly, the likelihood that the tank would simply revert to being neglected (ie. out of sight, out of mind) remained relatively high.
Accordingly, with a future use identified, the project scope was expanded to include refurbishment of the tank underside thereby creating a space that could be used as an interpretive centre.
With a new lease on life, the restored tank is now the centrepiece of what has been declared, internally, a heritage precinct. As the focal point, it will help draw together all the remnant elements of the former workers township site whilst allowing Melbourne Water to incorporate new elements: interpreting the history of the site, both Indigenous and historic, and more broadly, that of the organisation.
This outcome is a natural extension of the existing Discovery Centre at the Western Treatment Plant, thus ensuring integration while showcasing our commitment to fulfilling our corporate goal, 'to protect and preserve our cultural heritage'.