Western Bulldogs and their partnership with Ballarat a success

[NBates]

In the mall? I haven’t been on there yet

Other than that ?

Cruise down Ripon St and see where the 1st generation of Bulldog fans in my family lived.....only fitting the 'Dogs came to Ballarat instead of the other way around

 

[Pugz89]

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View attachment 1120449

That's the one! Thanks

 

[Mattdougie]

Nah, it's a legit shop. In Mair St I think, or something similar.

So that’s it?

People have said there is advertising all over the city even when games aren’t played.

I’m honestly interested to know where because hand on heart I haven’t seen a single bulldog anything anywhere

 

[Roogal]

From today's Ballarat Courier - Thursday 13 May 2021

Ballarat City Council earmarks $10m for possible land purchase

An A-League soccer match at Mars Stadium in December 2019. Original Picture: Skyline Drone Imaging - Modified for illustrative purposes by Roogal​

Ballarat City Council has set aside $10 million for potential land purchases around the Mars Stadium sporting precinct. The sum of money is highlighted in this year's draft budget under "strategic land purchase". Council officers are looking to define the future of the area, which hosts many of the city's high profile sporting events. It has had major funding injections from all levels of government in the past decade. More change is imminent as the Ballarat Agricultural and Pastoral Society (BAPS) finalises plans to move the Ballarat Show site to Mount Rowan in the next few years.

The precinct also includes the eight-hectare John Valves factory site, which shut down permanently in 2008, and has lain derelict since. Funding from all levels of government has been pumped into the sporting facilities in recent years. These include $22 million works to allow the Mars Stadium to start hosting AFL games in 2017 and the $24 million new Ballarat Sports and Events Centre (BSEC) stadium. Most of the block is dedicated to sports, with four ovals now on site including the C.E. Brown Reserve. As well as holding major sports events, the precinct is home to a host of community football and cricket clubs.

Council released a 95-page draft budget document outlining 2021/22 spending plans for public consultation last week. There was no detail in the documents of how the $10 million was likely to be spent but the City of Ballarat confirmed it was considering the possibility of buying land in the "major events" precinct. The City of Ballarat has said audits and feasibility works were taking place but stressed the process was at an early, exploratory stage.
The council's director of development and growth Natalie Robertson said potential land purchases had been flagged in the June 2015 - Ballarat Major Events Precinct Masterplan.

"Strategically we are trying to determine through a business case or feasibility whether it should be something that council should purchase - so that we can genuinely do the master planning for that area and be the masters of our destiny," Ms Robertson said. BAPS owns the freehold to a land parcel abutting Creswick Road and Howitt Street measuring slightly less than three acres. The rest of the land used for the Ballarat Show is crown land under a City of Ballarat committee of management. The most recent BAPS annual report valued the land at $6.5 million although it notes the valuation took place in 2019.

Ms Robertson said evaluation work on the former John Valves factory site would be part of the review of the precinct. "Council is in the middle of a feasibility study, business case, valuations, land audits, [and] environmental audits," Ms Robertson said. Works are ongoing in the precinct, with a tender for entrance upgrades and disability compliance at the Mars Stadium going out last year. Works on the $5.2 million stage two at Ballarat Sports Events Centre began earlier this year.

The 2015 Ballarat Major Events Precinct Master Plan, also identified a potential site for a railway station to service match day crowds. No firm plans to establish the stop, suggested for North of Howitt Street on the Maryborough line, have emerged since. The future of the former John Valves site has been uncertain since the factory's closure. The buildings have been demolished and detoxification works completed, while real estate websites suggest the area was purchased around October 2010 for $2.41 million. It is currently zoned for industrial use. The ownership of the former John Valves site is attributed to a registered private company Guysgood PTY LTD and distributed among 14 shareholders, most of them based in Ballarat.

Ms Robertson said a detailed recommendation for the precinct was likely to go before councillors this winter.

 

[Pugz89]

From today's Ballarat Courier - Thursday 13 May 2021

Ballarat City Council earmarks $10m for possible land purchase

View attachment 1126010
An A-League soccer match at Mars Stadium in December 2019. Original Picture: Skyline Drone Imaging - Modified for illustrative purposes by Roogal​

Ballarat City Council has set aside $10 million for potential land purchases around the Mars Stadium sporting precinct. The sum of money is highlighted in this year's draft budget under "strategic land purchase". Council officers are looking to define the future of the area, which hosts many of the city's high profile sporting events. It has had major funding injections from all levels of government in the past decade. More change is imminent as the Ballarat Agricultural and Pastoral Society (BAPS) finalises plans to move the Ballarat Show site to Mount Rowan in the next few years.

The precinct also includes the eight-hectare John Valves factory site, which shut down permanently in 2008, and has lain derelict since. Funding from all levels of government has been pumped into the sporting facilities in recent years. These include $22 million works to allow the Mars Stadium to start hosting AFL games in 2017 and the $24 million new Ballarat Sports and Events Centre (BSEC) stadium. Most of the block is dedicated to sports, with four ovals now on site including the C.E. Brown Reserve. As well as holding major sports events, the precinct is home to a host of community football and cricket clubs.

Council released a 95-page draft budget document outlining 2021/22 spending plans for public consultation last week. There was no detail in the documents of how the $10 million was likely to be spent but the City of Ballarat confirmed it was considering the possibility of buying land in the "major events" precinct. The City of Ballarat has said audits and feasibility works were taking place but stressed the process was at an early, exploratory stage.
The council's director of development and growth Natalie Robertson said potential land purchases had been flagged in the June 2015 - Ballarat Major Events Precinct Masterplan.

"Strategically we are trying to determine through a business case or feasibility whether it should be something that council should purchase - so that we can genuinely do the master planning for that area and be the masters of our destiny," Ms Robertson said. BAPS owns the freehold to a land parcel abutting Creswick Road and Howitt Street measuring slightly less than three acres. The rest of the land used for the Ballarat Show is crown land under a City of Ballarat committee of management. The most recent BAPS annual report valued the land at $6.5 million although it notes the valuation took place in 2019.

Ms Robertson said evaluation work on the former John Valves factory site would be part of the review of the precinct. "Council is in the middle of a feasibility study, business case, valuations, land audits, [and] environmental audits," Ms Robertson said. Works are ongoing in the precinct, with a tender for entrance upgrades and disability compliance at the Mars Stadium going out last year. Works on the $5.2 million stage two at Ballarat Sports Events Centre began earlier this year.

The 2015 Ballarat Major Events Precinct Master Plan, also identified a potential site for a railway station to service match day crowds. No firm plans to establish the stop, suggested for North of Howitt Street on the Maryborough line, have emerged since. The future of the former John Valves site has been uncertain since the factory's closure. The buildings have been demolished and detoxification works completed, while real estate websites suggest the area was purchased around October 2010 for $2.41 million. It is currently zoned for industrial use. The ownership of the former John Valves site is attributed to a registered private company Guysgood PTY LTD and distributed among 14 shareholders, most of them based in Ballarat.

Ms Robertson said a detailed recommendation for the precinct was likely to go before councillors this winter.

It really is lacking a designated car park nearby imo.

 

[Roogal]

It really is lacking a designated car park nearby imo.

I think that, that is the general idea. That the Council want to eventually have a new sports facility (Tennis, Hockey etc.) developed on the old Showgrounds site along with about 250-300 carparking spaces and another much larger carpark built to the North on the old John Valves site accommodating up to 1000 cars that would compliment the Sports Events Centre (which seats 3000) and Mars Stadium. Until they get the parking and PT accessibility issues resolved they know that there is little point to expanding the capacity of the stadium. On a time line, the Showgrounds were originally announced to be closing in late 2023, but that may go back a year because a lot of things were put on twelve months hold last year. The new Showgrounds site has already been announced and is located about two kilometres North of the Western Freeway co-locating with an indoor equestrian centre where all of the surrounding land is being marked out now for Ballarat's next growth zone to accommodate about 30,000 people. Hand in hand with that development, we would see duplication of Creswick Road at least to the Freeway and it may well make development of a train platform on the Maryborough line viable in the course of time.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

It would be good to increase our games at Mars, make it a cauldron for interstate sides like a West Coast or a Freo.

 

[Mattdougie]

It would be good to increase our games at Mars, make it a cauldron for interstate sides like a West Coast or a Freo.

Yeah will be great playing more games in the freezing cold in front of 8000

 

[CarnTheScray]

Yeah will be great playing more games in the freezing cold in front of 8000

we already play in Melbourne lol

 

[Woof]

When we can’t get a back of jumper sponsor I am glad we have this partnership in place. Things would be much worse without it.

 

[maddog37]

When we can’t get a back of jumper sponsor I am glad we have this partnership in place. Things would be much worse without it.

But but it’s reaalllyy cold there!!!!!

 

[Mattdougie]

Still waiting for one photo of advertising for us in Ballarat other than the store?

As I said I’ve driven through the place many times in the last 2-3 years and not seen a single piece of promotion for us.

Apparently it’s everywhere according to the locals in here so again I ask, can I have an address I can see se promotion?

 

[Roogal]

It would be good to increase our games at Mars, make it a cauldron for interstate sides like a West Coast or a Freo.

Geezus Mattdougie (if he still reads these posts) will be crossing you off his Christmas Card list.

 

[Northernsoul74]

It would be good to increase our games at Mars, make it a cauldron for interstate sides like a West Coast or a Freo.

I accept we make good money but you can’t be serious about selling more home games? If i lose anymore then I would probably throw away my membership. The club would lose thousands if they took more Melbourne games away.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

I accept we make good money but you can’t be serious about selling more home games? If i lose anymore then I would probably throw away my membership. The club would lose thousands if they took more Melbourne games away.

Lucky you don’t barrack for Hawthorn then.

 

[lachy]

I accept we make good money but you can’t be serious about selling more home games? If i lose anymore then I would probably throw away my membership. The club would lose thousands if they took more Melbourne games away.

In an ideal world to provide value for ALL of your members you would want 11 home games All could attend if possible. Sending 2 to Ballarat already significantly reduces the value to the vast majority and probably costs more in memberships than is picked up Ballarat.

The financial decision is do we make more from Government payments and other grants in playing in Ballarat, which is where the funding comes from than we would from additional members, which at this stage would appear to be yes. Playing more games there would be financial lunacy and would be a slap in the face of the 30,000 plus members who basically donated their memberships and seats in 2020 back to the club and who by and large are back on board with our frustrating ticketing system in 2021

 

[lachy]

Lucky you don’t barrack for Hawthorn then.

Hawthorn play at the MCG, their replacement games are at the MCG, they can sit in the same seats predominantly whether is is a home game or a replacement game, we or any other Marvel tenants can not

 

[CarnTheScray]

It would be good to increase our games at Mars, make it a cauldron for interstate sides like a West Coast or a Freo.

2 games is enough. I’m glad we play in Ballarat because it means we don’t need to go off to Tassie or Shanghai and it’s the best decision the club made in the last 5 years.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

In an ideal world to provide value for ALL of your members you would want 11 home games All could attend if possible. Sending 2 to Ballarat already significantly reduces the value to the vast majority and probably costs more in memberships than is picked up Ballarat.

The financial decision is do we make more from Government payments and other grants in playing in Ballarat, which is where the funding comes from than we would from additional members, which at this stage would appear to be yes. Playing more games there would be financial lunacy and would be a slap in the face of the 30,000 plus members who basically donated their memberships and seats in 2020 back to the club and who by and large are back on board with our frustrating ticketing system in 2021

The AFL has created a lot of inequalities for tenants of Etihad/Marvel, it’s no coincidence that we are the only Etihad tenant to win a premiership. The chips are stacked against us. Ballarat provides a lucrative avenue to get more funds to the club, while still playing in Victoria and accessible to fans who want to go.

Arguments about cost to home games should sit at the AFLs feet, while it allows MCG tenants to play each other twice a year. That’s not fair, all Clubs should be playing more games at the MCG if the finals are held there.

 

[BallaratBulldog]

If there was over 22k in capacity one day maybe you could think about an extra game or so against interstate like Gold Coast and Plastics but not while its at 11k with around 6k seated. That already limits a degree of getting capacity.

 

[LondonBulldog]

If there was over 22k in capacity one day maybe you could think about an extra game or so against interstate like Gold Coast and Plastics but not while its at 11k with around 6k seated. That already limits a degree of getting capacity.

Once the Whitten Oval redevelopment is finished that could make it interesting. They could charge an arm and a leg and know 18k desperado's like me would still pay to just be at the WO again. Neither is a great option, yet 18k beats 11k capacity, if its 1 or 2 games a year and the $ stack up.

 

[Mattdougie]

Geezus Mattdougie (if he still reads these posts) will be crossing you off his Christmas Card list.

Amazing you don’t read my posts but somehow managed to put a photo up of the club shop in Ballarat when I asked for proof of promotion.

Still yet to see a post of yours that is the truth.

 

[Roogal]

I accept we make good money but you can’t be serious about selling more home games? If i lose anymore then I would probably throw away my membership. The club would lose thousands if they took more Melbourne games away.

Nobody at any influential decision making level is even seriously considering that. It's all good.

 

[Roogal]

The AFL has created a lot of inequalities for tenants of Etihad/Marvel, it’s no coincidence that we are the only Etihad tenant to win a premiership. The chips are stacked against us. Ballarat provides a lucrative avenue to get more funds to the club, while still playing in Victoria and accessible to fans who want to go.

Arguments about cost to home games should sit at the AFLs feet, while it allows MCG tenants to play each other twice a year. That’s not fair, all Clubs should be playing more games at the MCG if the finals are held there.

Ever consider that of the AFL teams that play home games at alternate venues, the Western Bulldogs unarguably get the best deal by far? If you consider that Melbourne plays three games per season in the NT, North play 450 km away on an island as do Hawthorn 3-4 games a season, the Suns play their games 1600 km away in Cairns, and GWS 270 km South in Canberra, Saint Kilda seem to get shafted anywhere and everywhere, and Port Adelaide get bloody China. So the rest of us would simply hate to have your sad predicament of enduring a one hour drive from Footscray to Ballarat twice a footy season. It must be awful for the Bulldogs fans. I feel for you

 

[lachy]

Ever consider that of the AFL teams that play home games at alternate venues, the Western Bulldogs unarguably get the best deal by far? If you consider that Melbourne plays three games per season in the NT, North play 450 km away on an island as do Hawthorn 3-4 games a season, the Suns play their games 1600 km away in Cairns, and GWS 270 km South in Canberra, Saint Kilda seem to get shafted anywhere and everywhere, and Port Adelaide get bloody China. So the rest of us would simply hate to have your sad predicament of enduring a one hour drive from Footscray to Ballarat twice a footy season. It must be awful for the Bulldogs fans. I feel for you

How again do the 44,000 members or even half the 44,000 members fit in the 11,000 capacity ground again to make it a viable option?

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