The Andrews Government is supporting people of all abilities to participate in local sports, with a major upgrade of the Minerdome to provide a venue fit for everyone.

Member for Wendouree, Juliana Addison, today announced the Minerdome will be upgraded to support athletes of all abilities and genders, thanks to $769,761 from the Labor Government’s Community Sports Infrastructure Loans Scheme.

The project will build upgraded unisex change rooms, a reconfigured entrance, a new lift and meeting rooms to ensure people of all abilities can utilise the complex.

Ms Addison said the Community Sports Infrastructure Loans Scheme provides low-interest loans for councils, clubs and organisations to upgrade develop community sport and recreation infrastructure.

“This upgrade will change the game for all-abilities athletes and teams in Ballarat, who can say goodbye to navigating their way around a venue that isn’t fit for purpose, and focus on playing the sports they love,” she said.

“We’re proud to be making sport accessible to everyone here in Ballarat, and providing modern sports facilities that will allow people of all abilities to get involved and join a team,” Ms Addison said.

Basketball Ballarat CEO, Peter Eddy, said the upgrade will give users of the Minerdome access to great facilities.

“The Loan scheme sees the Association being eligible to receive a 50 per cent interest subsidy, effectively halving the interest payable on the loan and making it a very attractive opportunity for all community and sports organisations in Victoria,” Mr Eddy said.

“The loan scheme is a great initiative by the Victorian Government to encourage community sports groups to be responsible for their own futures by supporting their visions and allowing such developments to proceed earlier than would otherwise be possible,” he said.

In its first round, the scheme is lending a total of $100 million to 19 organisations across Victoria to progress more than $265 million worth of sport and recreation infrastructure to help more Victorians get involved and active.

Today’s announcement follows a commitment from the Labor Government last year to commit a further $5.2 million to deliver stage 2 of the Ballarat Sports and Events Centre project.

The expansion will include six new courts for multi-sport use including basketball, netball, volleyball and badminton, and a new 3,000-seat show court, learning centre and sports medicine facilities.