Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise this evening to congratulate the outstanding efforts of the Ballarat Basketball Association for their recent efforts in obtaining $10 million in federal funding for the expansion of the Ballarat Sports and Events Centre. While this was undoubtedly a team effort, there is one person in particular who I feel must be specifically congratulated. The substantial expansion project would not have received federal government funding if it hadn't been for the persistent, hard work of Mr Peter Eddy, and Peter Eddy's team at the Ballarat Basketball Association. This expansion project has been a long-held dream in the Ballarat community, and the countless hours of consultation, meetings and forums held by Mr Eddy and his team were instrumental in proving the case for the centre's proposed upgrade. Mr Eddy and his terrific leadership team have devoted themselves to this worthy cause of civic engagement and have been duly rewarded. Peter, you have my sincerest congratulations.

It is also incumbent upon me to offer my congratulations to the two major basketball teams in Ballarat, the Ballarat Miners and the Rush, who will undoubtedly be celebrating this wonderful announcement for federal funding. A special mention must go to the head coach of the Miners, Eric Hayes, and assistant coaches, Justin Fraser and Nathan Cooper-Brown, as well as team manager Brett Robinson; and head coach of the Rush, David Flint, and assistant coach Rob Baker, for their tremendous commitment in not only leading their teams but also supporting Peter and Basketball Ballarat in obtaining the funds. It has been a successful year for the club. Not only did they receive this very impressive grant; they were named the South East Australian Basketball League Club of the Year.

With the necessary funds now in the bank, the expansion project will see the construction of six new sports courts and a dramatic increase in audience capacity. This upgrade will lead to growth in participation in not only local, regional and state basketball but also netball, volleyball and badminton. The expanded facilities will support 222 weekly games, with a capacity to host more than 4,000 participants. The sports and events centre in Ballarat will allow Ballarat to retain large-scale tournaments and become the centrepiece of regional sporting competitions.

What an excellent way to bring the community together to foster a healthy lifestyle and to instil the values of teamwork and sportsmanship for young Australians. Not only will the community in Ballarat thrive but so will the local and regional economy. The Building Better Regions Fund ensures that vital public funds are directed towards stimulating regional economies in a prudent and effective way. This expansion project is just one such project. The social and material benefits will add to Ballarat's character and to Ballarat's wealth, making it one of Victoria's premier regional cities. We all know that what is good for our regions is good for our state.

I would now like to extend my thanks to my parliamentary colleagues who assisted Ballarat Basketball during this journey. First of all, I would like to thank the Special Minister of State, the Hon. Scott Ryan, for the consultative work that he undertook for many, many years with the Ballarat Basketball Association. Before I was even elected to parliament, Minister Ryan was heavily involved in the Ballarat community and I know that he welcomes this very successful outcome. Alongside Minister Ryan, a very good friend of mine who not only represented Ballarat in the House of Representatives but also sat in this very chamber, the Hon. Michael Ronaldson, also deserves congratulations.

Former Senator Ronaldson—Ronno—is one of Victoria's greatest advocates for regional communities and for a fit and healthy lifestyle. His support of the Ballarat Basketball Association and his unwavering promotion to provide the community of Ballarat with access to state-of-the-art sporting facilities has paid off. His vocal support to ensure that our regions get a fair share of the nation's wealth is to be commended. This is a terrific time for Ronno. Not only is his home town receiving a boost to its local economy; it is receiving this boost through one of his greatest passions, which is, of course, sport.

I look forward to watching Ballarat's sporting community grow into the future as it harnesses the opportunities that the upgraded sports and events centre provides. This is a great step forward for Australian sport, for Ballarat and for Victoria. I commend the project to you all and I thank the chamber for its time.