Scroll down for the Minister’s response, or click here to discover more about how we’re working for Wendouree.

Original constituency question from Juliana Addison MP to Parliament –

My question is for the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, regarding the upcoming Women’s Big Bash League matches to be held at the magnificent Eastern Oval on 13 and 14 November. I am so excited about welcoming some of the world’s best cricketers to Ballarat and seeing the next generation be inspired by our Renegades stars, like Jess Duffin.

Will the minister please provide an overview of how these four WBBL matches will benefit the Ballarat community and our local economy?

Ballarat has world-class sporting facilities, and we love to host elite sporting events, including AFL, A-League, Super Netball, NBL1 and Super Rugby. We do it well, and we welcome all codes. These games bring fans into our cities and revenue into our local businesses. Hosting the WBBL is already a great win for Ballarat.

I look forward to taking my girls to these matches to be inspired by these great women cricketers. Go Renegades!

Response from the Hon Martin Pakula MP, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events (19th Nov 2021) –

The Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) Cricket Festival was scheduled to be held in the Ballarat region as part of a broader cricket events package. Unfortunately, due to quarantine requirements and coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions in other states limiting the movement of teams across interstate borders, Cricket Australia has relocated the matches that were scheduled in Victoria and New South Wales.

The Victorian Government is committed to bringing top-tier national sporting content to the Ballarat region. These events support Victoria’s visitor economy, providing a continued boost for local businesses and tourism operators.

To help enable these events to occur, the Government has provided $38.5 million for the Eureka Sports Precinct, which includes upgrades at Mars Stadium. This funding has enabled seven Australian Football League (AFL) Premiership Season games to be held in Ballarat since 2017. A further $500,000 has been provided towards the development of the Eastern Oval Regional Cricket Hub to upgrade the oval, training facilities and change rooms.

The Government is continuing to work with Cricket Victoria, Cricket Australia, the AFL and other sports to bring future top-tier events to regional Victoria and the Ballarat region.