FULL MASTERS ROWING COVERAGE HERE.

Competitors from across the world have converged for the World Masters Rowing Regatta, which will continue through to Saturday.

The event will showcase the lake and our city to a new audience and will capture attention locally but also much further abroad.

It’s the culmination of significant work by the City of Ballarat and Ballarat Regional Tourism to secure an event of this standing and one that highlights the benefits of the clear direction to attract visitation and the subsequent economic boost through hosting major events which has gained significant momentum in recent years.

It’s fair to say this direction hasn’t been without problems or that residents shouldn’t continue to question Ballarat’s investment in such events.

For instance, there have been hurdles in regard to the work needed to ensure Lake Wendouree is capable of hosting such a significant rowing event, with hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in  ensuring facilities are of appropriate standing.

More broadly, there remains a lack of transparency regarding the costs and measurable benefits of major event hosting in Ballarat. 

Undoubtedly there are many significant positive aspects of bringing big events to our city but the results are rarely laid fully bare for the public to make its own assessment. Beyond the financials, however, maybe the most underrated aspect of Ballarat’s push to regain a mantle as a sporting and events mecca is the impact it has on perceptions of our city.

Hosting the Australian Road Cycling Championships is a perfect case in point, where Ballarat is now talked about as a cycling city which encourages pedallers both sporting and casual. The Ballarat Cabaret Festival, the Ballarat Beer Festival and The Courier’s own Good Food Ballarat event this November are all relatively new additions to Ballarat’s event agenda which are helping create an exciting vibe about what our city has to offer.

It doesn’t happen without money and it doesn’t happen without a vision.

This week we’ll celebrate a major plank of that vision on our great lake.

We welcome the competitors and those who support them – we know you’ll have a great time and will leave telling the world how great our city is.