Soccer facility funding sought: Ballarat City Council asks for $2.675 million By FIONA HENDERSON
Nov. 29, 2012, 11:30 p.m.

BALLARAT City Council will apply to the Regional Australia Development Fund to help finish the $11 million Ballarat Regional Soccer Facility.


The council will ask for $2.675 million to fund 50 per cent of the facility’s stage two completion.

However, a further $2.675 million will need to be sourced to finish the project, which will include a main show pitch, completion of the pavilion’s first floor, spectator seating, perimeter fencing, a spectator shelter, car parks, roads, footpaths, paved shared spaces and landscaping.

Ballarat District Soccer Association president Tony Beggs told Wednesday night’s council meeting a completed facility would become local soccer’s “jewel in the crown”.

“When completed, this city could become an international soccer facility,” Mr Beggs said.

Councillor Samantha McIntosh said a completed soccer facility would have wide-reaching benefits for the whole region.

But Cr Des Hudson said the project was long overdue.

“We need to ensure the Ballarat Regional Soccer Facility is going to cater for all the needs of local soccer and that good, local community based soccer is played on that pitch as well,” Cr Hudson said. Cr Amy Johnson also asked for a report into the project to come back to the council.

The Regional Australia Development Fund is a $175 million national funding program. Round four is currently open with applications sought via an expression of interest process.


See your ad hereIf the EOI, which must be submitted by December 6, is successful, a full application would need to be submitted by April 11 next year.

Other projects considered for the funding were the Ballarat West Employment Zone Freight Hub, the Civic Hall and the Major Events Precinct.

Nah, need more AFL grounds.

Really hope it goes ahead.

"White Elephant" risk for Ballarat soccer facility: Taylor
By FIONA HENDERSON Dec. 13, 2012, 9:30 p.m.

BALLARAT could lose millions of tourist dollars if the Ballarat Regional Soccer Facility’s next stage isn’t committed to immediately, according to former Ballarat City councillor Ben Taylor.

Mr Taylor said the Morshead Park facility could become an expensive white elephant if $825,000 in funding isn’t provided to finish the pavilion’s top level and to put in a first-class pitch early in the new year.

“This is too much money to jeopardise. We would lose around $6 million in 2013 and some $34 million coming into Ballarat in direct economic benefit over the next few years, and possibly up to $50 million before 2020,” Mr Taylor said.

Mr Taylor said completing the next stage would allow Melbourne Heart and Melbourne Victory to play A-League pre-season and maybe proper championship matches in Ballarat in the 2013-14 season, as well as holding community camps.

He said Ballarat Host City Bid Committee chairman Duncan Smith co-owned the Under/15 World Super Cup Tournament with Olympic Socceroos captain Danny Milosevic. This event would also come to Ballarat if the facility was completed.

Mr Taylor and Mr Smith yesterday said Ballarat needed to be ready to host an international 2015 Asian Cup team.

Mr Smith said Ballarat City Council needed to make a funding commitment now to “get things rolling along.”

“This could be a golden goose or a white elephant,” Mr Smith said.

Mr Taylor said savings could be made on the rest of the $5.6 million project, including cutting out concrete paving, a planned spectator grandstand and a $1 million decorative stick fence.

The council has applied for a Regional Australia Development Fund grant but the result of this would not be known until the middle of next year.

Councillor Des Hudson said the council shared the enthusiasm for hosting a World Cup team in 2014.

“We are working to deliver the full soccer precinct project for Ballarat and will seek dollar-for-dollar funding from RDAF to make that happen,” he said.

fiona.henderson@fairfaxmedia.com.au

I am loving the fact that councils are started to get football minded people on board, which is vast improvement from the past.

Edited by paladisious: 14/12/2012 06:58:18 PM

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