Vic Park a possible new home for Ballarat Showgrounds

The south-west corner of the park has been revealed as one of the potential new sites if the relocation is agreed to.

This follows Thursday’s announcement of bipartisan funding for the facility.

While the Ballarat Agricultural and Pastoral Society, which will ultimately hold the power to decide if any relocation will occur, would not comment on specific sites, there are many in Ballarat that will be considered, including Victoria Park. 

Both the president of the society, Phil Franklin, and the showgrounds development committee chairman, Michael Daunt, said discussions would be held about the best way forward for the facility and the events held there. 

Premier Denis Napthine emphasised relocation was definitely an option after announcing almost $5.5 million for the facility on Thursday. 

Labor has also committed $5 million to the showgrounds as part of its redevelopment of the Eureka Sporting Precinct, which Mr Daunt said he understood would also be flexible. 

“We, as a society, will be discussing this (relocation or not). The announcements from the government only came yesterday,” Mr Daunt said. “We will be looking at options in the next couple of weeks.”

Mr Daunt said it was important to remember no decision had been made about any possible change. 

City of Ballarat mayor John Philips revealed one of the sites for relocation that had been considered in the past was an area inside Victoria Park. 

“The chance is now for the showgrounds (the society) and the council to work together with dollars behind us, to enhance the project and decide where to from here,” he said. 

“(Current) infrastructure is in need of an upgrade and everyone is well aware of that.

“Council is looking at a couple of options. One of the ones that has been mentioned is in the south-west

corner of Victoria Park. 

“Council will work with the appropriate agencies to explore that option.” 

Committee for Ballarat chair Judy Verlin said she believed if relocation was the decision, Victoria Park would be “ideal”.

“It would be the ideal situation, but it has to be in collaboration and I think they have been a poor cousin to the wider conversation,” she said. 

Ms Verlin said she believed all sporting codes and major organisations who planned to use the Eureka facility needed to come together to develop a proper masterplan for the precinct. 

“They need an integrated masterplan to see who is in and who is out, because right now they don’t have one,” she said. 

Mr Daunt said many factors needed to be considered, including the size of the current facility and the funding received. 

“There may be opportunities, but it is not clear. We will be discussing it with the council,” he said. 

“We have, in the past, considered sites and we resolved a few years ago, as none of those were suitable at the time, to stay here.

“The funding will be used for better use of these grounds or a greenfields site, which would be exciting for us if that was the case.”

matthew.dixon@fairfaxmedia.com.au