New home for Ballarat show unclear

In early 2015, the Ballarat City Council gave the green light to a highly-anticipated Victoria Park master plan earmarking the new showgrounds towards the south end of the park.

For years the Ballarat Agricultural and Pastoral Society (BAPS) has been pushing for an events precinct in the heart of Ballarat which could attract large-scale events, similar to the Showgrounds in Bendigo, Adelaide and Melbourne.

But a council plan to relocate the showgrounds to Victoria Park was met with strong community opposition.  

Ballarat councillor Des Hudson also believed the Victoria Park site was “problematic”. 

“Vic Park was established as open space for the Ballarat community so therefore it’s my view that any construction of that site is not in the spirit of what it was traditionally set up for,” he said.

“I think there are alternatives...there are other potential sites which could be better explored in the Ballarat region and that would be a matter of discussion for the show society and the council this year.” 

The existing Ballarat showgrounds dates back to the 1930s. Many of the buildings and infrastructure at the site was in dire need of repair.

Cr Hudson said BAPS had been closely examining a number of potential sites for a new showground since November last year.

He anticipated their preferred location would be handed to the council in the first half of this year.   

To date, the state government has allocated $5 million to the development, but at least another $10 million would be required to bring it into fruition. 

Victorian minister for Regional Development Jaala Pulford said on Friday the government was still undertaking work with the Ballarat City Council and BAPS to identify the best option for a new showgrounds in the city. 

The Courier contacted the Ballarat Agricultural and Pastoral Society but it refused to comment on the status of the project citing “commercial confidentiality”.