Investing in Mars Stadium – Ministerial Response
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. How has the Allan Labor government’s support for AFL matches at Mars Stadium benefited the Ballarat community?
Mars Stadium is the premier outdoor stadium located in Ballarat, in my electorate of Wendouree. The ground was redeveloped in 2016 thanks to support from the Labor government and now hosts two AFL Western Bulldogs home games during the season and an AFLW Western Bulldogs game. We know that Ballarat loves football.
We know that our future investment at Mars Stadium, with an additional 5000 seats, is going to make Mars Stadium an even better place to watch football in the future. I look forward to the minister’s response.
Response from the Hon. Steve Dimopoulos MP, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events (6 December 2024) –
I thank the Member for Wendouree for her question and for her commitment to her local Ballarat community.
The Victorian Government has invested significantly in Mars Stadium since 2014. In Stage 1, a $22 million investment included an upgrade to the venue to enable it to host AFL matches, including 5,000 permanent seats, an upgraded oval and new videoboard. Stage 2 included $6.6 million to improve the gameday experience delivering permanent food and beverage outlets, toilets and additional shelter to make the venue more enticing for repeat visitors.
The Victorian Government is proud to have supported the hosting of Western Bulldogs matches in Ballarat since 2017 through the Regional Events Fund. Thirteen AFL matches have now been played at Mars Stadium and have provided a boost to local tourism and businesses by attracting tens of thousands of visitors to Ballarat.
In 2024 we saw a record cumulative crowd attendance for matches at Mars Stadium with over 19,000 fans attending 2 Western Bulldogs games. The AFL has now confirmed the Western Bulldogs men’s team will return to Ballarat in 2025 in Round 8 and Round 18.
Alongside these AFL matches, the Victorian Government’s Significant Sporting Events Program has also helped the Bulldogs deliver an extensive sport development and community engagement program across local schools, clubs, businesses and community groups in Ballarat and the surrounding regions.
This included delivery of a 4-week football participation program in 58 local primary schools to over 5,100 students and 22 AusKick Football Roadshows, attracting over 1,000 junior participants across 2024.
Looking ahead, further upgrades to the stadium were announced on 11 April 2024 as part of the Regional Sports Infrastructure Program. This includes a stadium expansion by 5,000 permanent seats raising the seated capacity to 10,000, with improved accessibility, and a new athletics track.
I look forward to seeing these project works commence in early 2025. I thank the Member for Wendouree for her interest in this important initiative.