The lights are bright and the grass is green at Marty Busch Reserve as Sebastopol's major sporting precinct continues its vast transformation.
The No.2 Oval at Marty Busch Reserve has recently undergone a multi-faceted upgrade that has seen new lighting installed, the playing field resurfaced and a new turf cricket wicket introduced to replace the former concrete-base wicket.
The oval will be used as a turf wicket venue option for Napoleons-Sebastopol Cricket Club and the Ballarat Cricket Association, while also hosting some Ballarat Football Netball League women's and junior matches that are not held on the number one oval.
Prior to the upgrades, the oval did not have subsurface drainage, the fencing and irrigation were not functional, and the lighting was inadequate.
The $1.85 million City of Ballarat project is the first step towards delivering the Marty Busch Reserve Master Plan that was adopted by Ballarat City Council in April 2023.
The State Government will contribute $8.4 million towards additional projects in the Master Plan after committing the funds during the 2022 election, while the City of Ballarat has currently budgeted a further $1.026 million.
The next priorities as part of the Master Plan include:
- An AFL/Cricket Changeroom Pavilion
- An electronic scoreboard for No.2 oval
- Upgrading netball court and lighting
- New five-bay cricket nets
- A criterium cycling track
- Relocation of the CFA fire and marshall track
Also included in the Master Plan, but not yet funded, will be improvements to public amenities including the proposed play spaces, BBQ, shelters, 3v3 basketball court, public toilets, reserve entry points and pedestrian path networks to benefit the wider community.
City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Des Hudson said it was exciting to see the Marty Busch Reserve Master Plan starting to come to life.
"This project is going to make Marty Busch Reserve a fantastic sporting and recreation hub for the Sebastopol community," he said.
"We are thrilled to get the ball rolling on the first phase of the Master Plan and look forward to working with the State Government to deliver further items along the way."
Member for Wendouree, Juliana Addison MP said she was proud to be supporting the development of the precinct.
"We are investing millions of dollars to transform and upgrade Marty Busch Reserve. In doing so, we will deliver the sporting and recreational facilities the Sebastopol community deserves," she said.
