PRIME Minister Julia Gillard toured Ballarat today to announce $2.675 million in federal funding to complete the Ballarat Regional Soccer Facility.
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The investment will go towards a lighted show pitch, two additional playing pitches, two grandstands and further upgrades of the Morshead Park pavillion.
The funding is the final jigsaw in the puzzle for the project, which has already received funding from the state government and the City of Ballarat to complete earlier upgrades.
Once upgraded, the facility will hold 1500 spectators and have an international standard pitch ready to host major regional and state competitions.
It is slated to be completed by March next year to ensure it is ready to be considered as a host for a team at the 2015 Asian Cup, which is being hosted in Australia.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the facility would boost Ballarat jobs and tourism, as well as the local community.
"People obviously love their soccer, love coming here, but the facilities for the future will be at a far higher quality," she said.
Football Federation of South West Victoria chairman Peter Reid said the facility would put Ballarat on the map for national and international events.
"It's a great day. It will be able to showcase Ballarat to everybody," he said.
Ballarat MP and Regional Services Minister Catherine King said the campaign for a first-class soccer facility in Ballarat had been running for at least seven years.
"It's been a long time talking about how do we develop soccer and particularly the huge amount of juniors that you're getting into the sport and what we do to really make sure Ballarat has great regional facilities," she said.
Mayor John Burt said the funding would sit alongside the City of Ballarat's recent commitment of $2.7 million to the facility.
"It will be a regional hub for the world game, it will bring regional people to Ballarat to pariticpate in this sport in first class facilities," he said.
"This puts the cream on the cake, we can now quite confidently say we're going to do it," he said.
The money was announced under round four of the federal government's Regional Development Australia fund.
