PROJECT team members for the city's major events precinct overhaul are preparing to let the community in on details for what they have planned.
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This is the first time members of the public have been able to directly ask state and local government representatives about the precinct, which is headlined by Mars Stadium, in the wake of the Commonwealth Games fall-out.
An online webinar on Tuesday, June 25, is the first of three information sessions this week for the community to learn more about the project.
This comes as the deadline looms for Ballarat Agricultural and Pastoral Society to have officially vacated its long-held spot next to the stadium for a new home in Mount Rowan.
Until now, all that has been available about the project has been concept designs, which were released in April 2024 with advanced tender notices for the showgrounds demolition and a two-phase tender for precinct construction.
As part of the tender notices, an extra 5000 seats for Eureka Stadium (commercially known as Mars Stadium) and a new athletics track built on the showgrounds site were confirmed.
These upgrades are part of the Victorian Government's Ballarat Sports Package after the cancellation of the 2026 Commonwealth Games for regional Victoria.
Eureka Stadium had been pegged to host the Games' athletics program. As part of this, an international standard track and field warm-up facility was to have been built alongside the stadium, which will proceed as planned to become the new home for Ballarat Regional Athletics Centre.
The project's seemingly only new details are slight colour tweaks in artists' impressions, such as purple for the track to match an Olympic first in the 2024 Paris Games.
Development Victoria civic infrastructure lead Hannah Clement said it was exciting to offer the Ballarat community greater insight to Ballarat Major Events Precinct plans.
"We know how important it is to invest in sporting facilities across regional Victoria, ensuring that athletes and spectators alike have access to the same opportunities as sports-lovers living in metropolitan Melbourne," Ms Clement said.
"This project will ensure that the Ballarat Major Events Precinct continues to attract large crowds and encourage sports participation at all levels for the Ballarat community."
Development Victoria updates in April pencilled in stadium upgrade completion by late 2026 with a head contractor for the project set to be approved by October 2024.
Community information sessions for Ballarat Major Events Precinct are open to all.
The online webinar is by registration only for Tuesday, June 25, 6-7pm.
Drop-in sessions are open at Eureka Stadium on Wednesday, June 26, 6-7.30pm and Saturday, June 29, 11am-1pm.
