Hockey Ballarat has put up its hand to host the 2025 Australian Country Championships, but first has called on a facilities expansion to help it secure key major events.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The association has declared its intention to hold the titles and believes it needs more than the solo pitch at Prince of Wales Park in order to do so.
Hockey Ballarat's Jeff Sly said the event was calculated to bring $2.8million into the Shepparton economy when it was held there last year and thought Ballarat could at least manage those types of returns.
"It's Victoria's turn in 2025 again and we think Ballarat really should be putting its hand up, but to do that we need better facilities for hockey in this city," Sly said.
Hockey Ballarat has been based at Prince of Wales Park since the 1990s, but is willing to move its headquarters to a new location in order to have a two-pitch facility.
Sly said a greenfield site was a likely option, but City of Ballarat is expected to work through a range of options.
"We have been here since 1992 when men's hockey and women's hockey combined in this city so it's got a long history at this site, but for new facilities and all that we'd happily move," he said.
"And we are fairly resigned to the fact that that's what we're going to have to do."
City of Ballarat Cr Samantha McIntosh said it was clear hockey needed to develop further in this city.
"They need to grow and we need to make sure we have got plans as to where they grow to," she said.
Cr McIntosh said Victoria Park and Miners Rest, where council is set to purchase a 17-hectare patch of vacant land, were possible places to expand.
"Nonetheless, as a council it would be our responsibility to listen to what the experts have to say and work with the officers of council to come up with the best outcome," she said.
Plans have previously been made for an expansion at the current Hockey Ballarat site in recent years, but nothing has ever come to fruition.
Council has commissioned a study to investigate the future needs of hockey to the city.
Hockey Ballarat got up and going for a short winter season during the COVID-19 pandemic. Junior players managed a few rounds before strict lockdown restrictions forced an end to the campaign.
A spring season is planned to commence in the coming weeks.
