Tuesday, 16 August 2022

 Ms LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (19:31): (2043) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Regional Development, and it concerns the planned redevelopment of the Bendigo showgrounds. The action that I seek from the minister is for her to provide a funding contribution of $4 million towards the $8.6 million cost to complete the first stages of the Bendigo showgrounds redevelopment project. The Bendigo showgrounds has one of the largest arenas in regional Victoria, hosting major events that welcome approximately 600 000 patrons annually. The ageing infrastructure at the showgrounds is not meeting the needs of its users, and the redevelopment of the Bendigo showgrounds is a high-priority project for the City of Greater Bendigo. In December 2019 the council released a detailed master plan and business case, which identified a nine-stage plan to improve and grow the showgrounds over an extended time frame. The document indicated that the planned multistage improvements at the showgrounds will attract approximately 320 000 additional visitors each year, with 85 000 projected to live outside of Greater Bendigo. It is estimated that such increased visitation to Greater Bendigo would generate more than $7.3 million in additional spending in the region each year.

The City of Greater Bendigo is seeking a funding contribution towards the first two stages of the project, being the construction of a new market pavilion, an event space and an upgrade of the existing exhibition buildings. The redevelopment of the market pavilion and event space will see the construction of a new multipurpose market pavilion incorporating an indoor market hall, a market event space, storage areas as well as cold storage and catering facilities. These works would also deliver covered market stall spaces, new toilets and new landscaping around the pavilion. The planned upgrade of the Bendigo Exhibition Centre will include internal and external painting, fitting of new air conditioning and solar panels, extensions to both indoor and outdoor breakout spaces and improvement to existing landscape and pathways. These first stages have been costed at $8.6 million, but it is estimated that this work alone will result in an increase in user group hire revenue of $1 million each year. The City of Greater Bendigo are contributing $600 000 towards this cost and are advocating for an equal funding contribution of $4 million from both the state and the federal governments.

The redevelopment of the Bendigo showgrounds is a vitally important project that will cater to the needs of current and future users and generate ongoing economic and social benefits to the region, and I call on the minister to provide the funding requested.