Stage set for sporting site overhaul

A WORLD-class athletics track is on the way for the region with support from the State Government.

Work is expected to begin soon to create the infrastructure as part of a new major events precinct at the former Ballarat Showgrounds, with the transformational efforts to be delivered by Laverton North-based Ausdecom.

Group head of civic infrastructure Hannah Clement said the site’s overhaul will be the start of something big for the region’s sports offerings.

“Redeveloping the former Ballarat Showgrounds into a high-level athletics track will transform the area into a destination sporting precinct that will attract locals and visitors from across the state,” she said.

“Following community information sessions in June, we know that everyone is excited to see this project come to life.”

Initial works, which will entail demolishing current infrastructure and getting the site ready for the athletics track, are set to begin later this year, with construction to start in early 2025.

The showgrounds’ previous tenants, the Ballarat Agricultural and Pastoral Society, utilised the site for almost a century, and have since relocated to a new home in Mount Rowan.

The overhaul is being delivered as part of the Regional Sports Infrastructure Program, with Mars Stadium also set to receive 5000 new seats and accessibility upgrades.

Member for Eureka, Michaela Settle, said the works will be a win for Ballarat sporting.

“We’re making sure more players and teams across the Ballarat region have the spaces they need to play the sport they love, whether it’s kicking a ball around with your mates or running around the track,” she said.

Upgrades to courts, broadcast capabilities and lighting, and accessibility are also on the way for Selkirk Stadium, while Miners Rest is also set to receive a new community sports centre.

To help deliver the projects, land located at the former saleyards is to be transformed into a new jobs precinct, with the remediation works set to be undertaken due to the site’s historic character.

Many of the developments are a carryover from commitments previously made for the now-cancelled 2026 regional Victorian Commonwealth Games.