Ballarat Basketball is still lobbying hard to build a 3,000-seat show court to lure major indoor sporting events, conventions and functions like regional cities Bendigo and Geelong. Additionally, a fully developed stadium plan would create multi-use space and facilities for community groups.

The association has been exploring successful community engagement models, like North Melbourne Football Club’s The Huddle, which promotes social awareness programs with sport among migrant families in inner Melbourne. Ballarat Basketball chief Peter Eddy said new facilities could be ideal for groups like retirees’ University of the Third Age and long-time Minerdome tenant, The Actives, older adults who meet for educational and recreational activities.

But appropriate meeting rooms and lecture theatres fall under the next stage of BSEC planning. Ballarat Basketball is awaiting approval for a $10 million grant that would deliver this under stage two of the National Stronger Regions Fund, set to be allocated in late November. Existing funding, a combined $14 million state and local government funding, will develop four of a proposed six new courts in the Eureka Stadium precinct and create a dedicated training base for this city’s marquee basketball teams – Ballarat Miners and Rush, and Sovereigns’ state netball program.

“Increased (court) capacity is what we have guaranteed from day one,” Mr Eddy said. “We wanted to stick to our promise and not just use the money to build a show court first. More courts will have a great flow-on effect...but will a full development there are a number of events and activities we could do.”

Mr Eddy said failure to deliver the full project risked not attracting new events and the potential community difference it could make.