Call for Showgrounds upgrade

STATE upper house MP for Northern Victoria Region, Wendy Lovell, has called on the Victorian Government to commit to the redevelopment of the Bendigo Showgrounds precinct.

Speaking at parliament last week, Ms Lovell directed her speech to Minister for Regional Development, Harriet Shing, and said the State Government should contribute $4 million for the project.

“The redevelopment of the Bendigo Showgrounds is a vitally important project for the entire Bendigo region, better catering for user groups and patrons and attracting more visitors that create more spending into the local economy,” she said.

Ms Lovell said the City of Greater Bendigo’s masterplan and business case, completed in 2019, estimated an increase in about 320,000 visitors to the showgrounds each year if multi-staged improvements went ahead.

“The project has been a priority project for the City of Greater Bendigo for several years and with the masterplan and business case complete, I call on the Minister to support the project and commit the $4 million in funding requested,” she said.

Ms Lovell said the first two stages of the upgrade would be used for a new market pavilion and an upgrade of the Bendigo Exhibition Centre with total costs of $8.6 million.

A spokesperson for the State Government said they’ll have more to say about the redevelopment of the Bendigo Showgrounds soon.

“Since 2018, we have invested more than $790,000 to help ensure the viability of the Showgrounds as an events and community hub,” the spokesperson said.

The State Government contributed $50,000 towards the masterplan and business case, as well as $680,000 for upgrades in May last year.

According to the Bendigo Agricultural Show Society, that money will be used for new toilet facilities, some outdoor eating areas, and some air-conditioning for the exhibition building.