PRESSURE from squeezing into late-night matches or a mad dash between training and playing venues should become a thing of the past.

Impacts from Ballarat’s court shortage was most acutely felt by families across Ballarat and as far as Ararat and Hamilton in basketball.

A $10 million federal funding boost to fully redevelop Ballarat Sports and Events Centre to eight courts was met with relief as word spread Tuesday.

Buninyong mum Kylie Dewar juggles basketball seven days a week with her teenage children Gabbi and Ryan and herself as team manger.

“Gabbi’s under-18 matches sometimes don’t finish until 9.45pm, and they can train until late, so it’s get home, shower and eat, then try to get to bed – and there’s girls 18 months older in her team studying year 10 or 11,” Ms Dewar said.

“We’re pretty excited about the stadium, getting the courts up and running and not having kids have to pull out of such late games.”

Female youth league manager Donna Dunmore, who lives in Ararat, said lots of families trek to Ballarat where there are more varied divisions for young players to test their games in club and representative matches. Ms Dunmore said the chance of less juggling match times was “awesome”. She also said expanded programs allowed for greater coaching and referee development.

Central Highlands Regional Council chairman and Ararat mayor Paul Hooper said the BSEC truly was for the wider region. 

“It gives opportunity to our kids and the next generation, which is fantastic, for more youth to participate in physical activity,” Mr Hooper said. “When the (CHR) council was presented with this, it was very logical why we should support the project.”

The funding injection doubles proposed seating capacity to 3000 seats, increasing the city’s chances to compete for major sporting events with new facilities in Werribee (1500-seat show-court, 12 indoor courts) and Bendigo (4000-seat show-court).

Basketball Ballarat director Nick Grylewicz and Sovereigns netball chairman Bill Mundy reiterated this was vital to boost pathways and inspiration for young players.

UNIVERSITY of Third Age students are celebrating an investment in challenges for the mind and physical activity for Ballarat’s seniors and semi-retirees.

The not-for-profit community education organisation has been a player in the Ballarat Sports and Events Centre push the past seven years.

U3A Ballarat immediate past president Blake Gordon said the organisation had more than 1010 members and was rapidly on the rise with about 20 per cent of newcomers to Ballarat aged 60-plus.

The group has classes in community centres across Ballarat but fully developed plans for BSEC will allow for modern lecture rooms for academic classes and more court space to move.

“We’ve been part of this (project) exercise for so long. It’s terrific reward for a lot of effort,” Mr Gordon said.

“Funding tends to favour a lot of sport and a lot of programs for young people but at least some in government understand some assistance is needed for the older population.”

Mr Gordon said the new facilities would be fantastic for classes in yoga, meditation or ballroom dancing, which require large space. 

He said it would also be an ideal chance to start a seniors (walking) basketball competition or for the choir to perform in a 3000-seat stadium.

“There are so many opportunities,” Mr Gordon said. “We’re always looking for new places to run classes...This won’t stop our search for accommodation, but it will certainly be good to have a new home.”

Plans also allow for the potential to become regional administration bases for organisations like U3A and sporting bodies, like state netball and basketball.

The 3000-seat arena offers Ballarat a chance to bid for major conventions, possibly like the state Jehovah’s Witness annual conference often held in Bendigo.

Basketball Ballarat event manager Mark Valentine said the facilities were very much multi-use for all indoor activity. The association had interest from martial arts and flying disc code Ultimate. There was also potential to revive competitions in floorball (a form of indoor hockey), cheerleading and European handball.

- 2004-05: Minerdome upgrades to host basketball for Commonwealth Games in March 2006.

- 2006-10: Ballarat Basketball investigates options to expand. Other indoor sports groups enter talks in September 2010 to address critical court shortage.

- 2011: Community groups like University of the Third Age and sporting bodies like Basketball Victoria Country explore chance for shared bases and community use.

- March 2012: Plans for new six-court facility in Wendouree made public.

- May 2013: Council commits to deliver major new indoor sports facility in five-year plan. Elite basketball, netball needs training base. Courts overflowing.

- November 2014: Labor state government delivers $9 million to project with $5 million from council.

- 2015-October 2016: Project narrowly misses funding three times under National Stronger Regions Fund.

- July 31, 2017: Federal government announces $10 million for project under new Building Better Regions Fund.