White Night Ballarat – Ministerial Response
Scroll down for the Minister’s response, or click here to discover more about how we’re working for Wendouree.
Original adjournment matter from Juliana Addison MP to Parliament –
My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, and the action I seek is for the minister to visit my electorate of Wendouree for White Night Ballarat on 1 June. White Night is coming back to Ballarat to light up our city in 2024, and everyone is invited. After five dark years White Night returns to Ballarat to illuminate our city.
In 2017 Ballarat made history as the first regional Australian White Night, and what an incredible night that was, for Ballarat after dark had never looked so extraordinary. Once again White Night will transform Ballarat into a city of light through installations, lighting, exhibition, street performances, film, music, dance and interactive events. The event is a vibrant and inclusive celebration of immersive art and community participation for everyone to enjoy.
Importantly, White Night is family friendly, open to all ages and free to attend, but it is probably best to bring the little ones earlier in the night. No registration is required to attend, and everyone can just show up and have fun.
When White Night was held in Ballarat previously in 2017, 2018 and 2019, it transformed our city and attracted record crowds. Revellers of all ages were spellbound by the illuminations on our heritage buildings, streetscapes and laneways as well as by great live entertainment.
Ballarat loves White Night and the boost it brings to the local economy. When White Night was last held in Ballarat in 2019 it attracted more than 40,000 visitors and generated $2.8 million in economic impact for the region.
White Night not only lights up Ballarat but provides an important opportunity to showcase our city’s world-class hospitality venues, including Hotel Vera, Itinerant Spirits, Meigas, the Provincial, Hop Temple, Pancho, Roy Hammond, the Sporting Globe, Underbar, Kilderkin Distillery, Mitchell Harris, Black Vault, Babae, the Goods Shed, Ragazzone, Grainery Lane, Renard and the Gravy Spot.
I warmly invite everyone in this chamber and across Victoria to organise a trip to Ballarat with family and friends for the first weekend in June. Rain, hail or shine, this event will proceed, unless it is deemed unsafe to do so. Come to Ballarat for the weekend, visit Sovereign Hill, the Art Gallery of Ballarat, Ballarat Wildlife Park, the Eureka Centre, Lake Wendouree, our botanic gardens and our city’s distilleries.
White Night will commence at 6 pm and conclude at midnight. There will be lots of live music throughout the night on the Evening Star and Last Chance stages. For more information visit whitenight.com.au. The Ballarat community looks forward to warmly welcoming visitors to our beautiful city on the first day of winter. Remember to rug up, and get ready to enjoy an extraordinary night out in Victoria’s best regional city. I look forward to the minister’s response.
Response from the Hon. Steve Dimopoulos MP, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events (26 June 2024) –
I thank the Member for Wendouree for her kind invitation to attend White Night Ballarat.
It was a pleasure to attend with her along with 65,000 people to celebrate Ballarat being projected – quite literally – in a new light.
The success of White Night Ballarat reflected the city’s creativity and warmth, with the program featuring vibrant works from 34 Ballarat-based artists, music from 13 local acts and more than 85 local hospitality businesses.
Since the event, I’ve heard from operators about how many out-of-state and first-time visitors they served during the night, and how heartening they found it to welcome families and visitors all excited to be out enjoying what Ballarat has to offer.
This is why regional events are so important – they create jobs, support local businesses and bring communities together. That’s why the Allan Labor Government will continue to invest in them.
I want to thank the workers, businesses, council and the wider community for putting on White Night Ballarat and for showcasing the best of what regional Victoria has to offer.