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The $23 million Bendigo Stadium show court expansion which opened to the Greater Bendigo community mid last year is fast becoming the region’s premier sports, major events and entertainment venue.

The Peddle Thorp designed complex features a major indoor multi-use show court with seating capacity for 4,000 and 12 outdoor netball courts supporting more than 10,000 visitors each week.

The Stadium also features a crèche, international level change rooms, licensed bar and bistro, Wi-Fi Internet, updated administration area, meeting rooms, and retail area.

Peddle Thorp Design Director Peter Brook said Bendigo Stadium was becoming a world-class facility, giving families more space for sport and Central Victoria an opportunity to stage more big events.

The Bendigo Braves, Bendigo Spirit as well as local netball, volleyball, basketball and other sports now have a bigger and better venue to host training, development programs, big games and large crowds.

The project was made possible by a $5 million Victorian Government Community Sports Infrastructure Fund grant.

Project partners also included Bendigo Stadium Limited and the City of Greater Bendigo who made significant contributions to the $23 million project.

As the stadium’s preferred University Partner, La Trobe features prominently across the venue’s integrated digital screens providing details of its partnership and support for the Bendigo community.

Bendigo Mayor Margaret O’Rourke said she was excited to see the expansion project, commenting “this is going to be a wonderful facility for our community. It is the largest indoor stadium constructed outside metropolitan Melbourne, which puts Greater Bendigo in an enviable position to attract major national and international sporting events and spectacular concerts and other entertainment.

“Importantly, the new expansion also improves the player and spectator experience for the more than 10,000 people that use this facility each week to play basketball, volleyball, and netball.”

Bendigo Stadium Chief Executive Nathan O’Neill said he looked forward to the stadium hosting world-class experiences for the community to enjoy, stating "our vision is also to be a leader in improving the health of our community, so I am thrilled the expanded Stadium will be able to further cater for all levels of participation and continue to provide strong pathways to elite sport."

The venue’s first event featured a South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) double-header between the Braves and Sandringham.

Megan Moody, head coach of Bendigo’s SEABL women’s team, is impressed with the scope and scale of the venue and especially the fact that it’s now her side’s home-court.

Moody added “it is amazing - it really doesn’t feel like you’re in regional Victoria.

“For me it felt like I was back overseas in one of those incredible stadiums - so the calibre of this venue is brilliant.

“Facility-wise it’s a brilliant drawcard to have a 4,000 person show court here - it really lifts the profile of basketball here as well as netball, volleyball and the other groups using the venue too.”

In her work with Basketball Victoria as a Regional Development Officer, Moody thinks the new stadium is just as impressive as it will greatly benefit the local community through increasing training court availability and slashes the wait time for late-night matches throughout the week.

She continued “for the region as a whole, one of the biggest complaints in grassroots basketball are the late time slots - especially winter when it’s cold and dreary.

“To add the three courts, taking Bendigo Stadium to a 10-court arena will help out the community dramatically.

“It also opens up extra training venues – training courts are so hard to get and to add another three under the one roof means the domestic clubs, rep teams and elite teams will be able to utilise it better.”

The redevelopment also brought international basketball to the stadium when the Australian Men’s National Basketball Team, the Boomers played Kazakhstan in a qualifying game for the 2019 Asian FIBA World Cup.

According to Basketball Australia Chief Executive Anthony Moore the game was a landmark event for the city of Bendigo as it brought international basketball to their new stadium for the first time. 

The Bendigo Stadium redevelopment also secured the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Junior Table Tennis Championships (WJTTC) in December 2018.

The event marked the first time the ITTF WJTTC has been held in Australia since its inception in 2003.

ITTF Oceania Executive Director Christian Holtz, advised “this is truly a milestone moment for us that we are able to hold an event of this magnitude.

“We’re happy the City of Greater Bendigo is able to showcase the fantastic facilities at the Bendigo Stadium.

“We have some of the best junior table tennis players in the world competing in Bendigo and the standard of play from all of them has exceeded expectations."

Despite not being able to excel through to team event finals, the Australian and New Zealand sides were still able to make their mark on the tournament by winning matches against key players.

Image (from top): the redeveloped Bendigo Stadium opening basketball game, courtesy of Basketball Victoria; volleyball; the Boomers game against Kazakhstan (courtesy of Basketball Australia); and the ITTF World Junior Table Tennis Championships (WJTTC).

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