WHILE the state government continues to throw millions of dollars at Geelong’s Skilled Stadium, it remains uncommitted financially to Ballarat’s own vision for a sports and entertainment precinct.
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Yes, in a sense we are comparing apples and oranges, as Skilled Stadium already hosts a range of major sporting and community events overshadowing that of Ballarat’s Eureka Stadium, however the justification for the funding in Geelong from the government is simply and easily transferable.
Here’s just a slice of Dr Napthine’s offerings yesterday: “These next stages will potentially allow for Geelong to host an increased number of national and international events such as T20 Big Bash games, NRL games, A-league games and international-act concerts.
“As well as the great entertainment and excitement these types of events provide, they also lead to generation of more local jobs and millions of dollars of economic benefits. A Deloittes study has found that each additional major event at Simonds Stadium injected $3 million into the local economy.”
Replace Geelong with Ballarat and Simonds Stadium with Eureka Stadium and he could easily be talking about the project that has long been advocated for in our community.
Last week The Courier published a series of stories detailing the immense impact at grassroots level the lack of bigger and better recreational facilities are having on the people of our city.
It is clear the Ballarat project is much needed and has broad community support.
The state opposition has committed to an upgrade of facilities as it did in the days leading up to the previous state poll.
Given the government has a clear understanding of the benefits of projects of this type, it will be intriguing to see what commitments it is prepared to make to Ballarat’s offering in the coming weeks and months.
A centre for excellence and innovation
LAST night’s celebration of the city’s business community is proof that Ballarat remains a centre for excellence and innovation.
All categories at the CGU Commerce Ballarat Business Excellence Awards were tightly contested and showcased a growing diversity of achievement within the retail and service sectors in particular.
Given the continuing discussion about the state of the broader economy, we take great solace in knowing Ballarat remains home to a burgeoning market for jobs and business growth.
