Erik van der Spek said after receiving a draft report from structural engineers and Christchurch-based conservation archaeologist Emily Fryer Conservation Ltd this month, he was confident the fountain, given to the town in 1912 by James Craig, founder of the firm James Craig and Co Timber Merchants, would be returned to working order.
"We're trying to work through the requirements of a structural engineer with the requirements of conserving a heritage feature; trying to merge those two different goals,'' Mr van der Spek said.
"At this stage, looking at the reports, we are confident we can do something.''
He said dismantling the fountain cost about $35,000 and, with "other investigation costs'', the budget to investigate the council's options for the New Zealand Historic Places Trust category 2-listed fountain was expected to be $45,000.
The council had received a number of bequests over the years for the public gardens and the work was being funded through those bequests.
Extensive work on the fountain was carried out in 1990 after parts wore out and vandals damaged it over the years. However, the fountain leaked and was turned off during the 1990s and has not flowed since.
The fountain, Italian marble with an Oamaru stone base, was in "a dozen pieces at least''.
The structural engineer was advising the council on how the fountain could be put back together "in a way that is going to meet current consent requirements''.
