Regional Sports Infrastructure Program – Bendigo
Bendigo sports and event venues are set for major transformations through the Victorian Government’s Regional Sports Infrastructure Program.
Sports and events in Greater Bendigo are set for a major boost with infrastructure upgrades to 2 of central Victoria’s largest sport, recreation and entertainment spaces and the refurbishment of a beloved community bowls club and croquet club.
Bendigo projects include:
- Bendigo Stadium
- Bendigo Showgrounds
- Bendigo Bowls Club and Croquet Club.
These investments will support local jobs and businesses throughout construction and strengthen Bendigo’s reputation as a vibrant place for sports and events in northern Victoria.
Bendigo Bowls Club and Croquet Club
With more than 100 years history in Bendigo, the much-loved Bendigo Bowls Club and Bendigo Croquet Club is set for a modern upgrade.
Upgrades include:
- refurbishment of 4 bowls greens, including two with synthetic surfaces
- 2 compliant croquet lawns
- site accessibility and circulation improvements
- upgrades to the iconic bowls clubhouse.
Works at Bendigo Bowls and Croquet Clubs will create opportunities for more lawn bowls and croquet events, with Searle Bros also engaging with local suppliers and sub-contractors to create local jobs to benefit the Loddon Mallee region.
Early works commenced in December 2025 and all works are expected to be completed by late 2026.
Bendigo Stadium
Bendigo Stadium’s $27 million upgrade is complete and will help cater for more community sport while attracting more major events to the region.
The upgrades include:
- 2 new indoor sports courts
- fully accessible facilities including a changing places facility
- a new entrance connected to the existing stadium with accessible carparks
- Dja Dja Wurrung artwork in partnership with DJAARA (Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation)
- solar panels and a back-up generator to help keep the venue running during local outages.
- automated access at the main entry
- refurbishment of outdoor courts 9 and 10, with new ramps added
- 200 lux lighting added to the 12 outdoor netball courts.
Transcript
Fairbrother project manager and graduate talking about the economic impacts of the Bendigo Stadium upgrades
Vision: Bendigo Stadium and construction works from the sky
Vision: Text: Upgrades to the Bendigo Stadium
Vision: Workers in hard hat and high visibility vests walking through basketball court under construction
Vision: Netball courts from above.
Over the past nine to 10 months we’ve gone and upgraded the Bendigo Stadium.
Vision: Mitch, Project Manager, Fairbrother speaks to camera
Vision: Workmen on site
Eighty five percent of the contract value being retained with local and regional businesses to support the regional and local contractors as much as we possibly can.
Vision: Bronte, Construction Graduate, Fairbrother speaks to camera.
Vision: Bronte in hard hat and high visibility vest inspecting works.
I think the opportunity to work on projects like this is really important.
Twelve months of cutting my teeth to deliver the best.
Vision: Workers in hard hat and high visibility vests walking through basketball court under construction
One of the real highlights of the projects has been the collaborative approach with all the stakeholders including Development Victoria, Sports Victoria, City of Greater Bendigo and of course Bendigo Stadium.
Vision: Woman in wheelchair exiting glass doors.
Vision: players playing volleyball.
Vision: basketball game in action with crowds cheering
It was great the State Government going in, providing the funding and investment for the local regional community. For the amenities being delivered and for the local jobs.
Vision: signage of the Victorian Government upgrading Bendigo Stadium.
Vision: ladies playing pickleball
Vision: crowds and spectators entering the foyer.
Vision: players shooting hoops.
Vision: solar panels on the roof.
Vision: Bendigo Stadium from above.
Bendigo Showgrounds
Home to the Bendigo Agricultural Show, Australian Sheep and Wool Show, Sunday Markets and National Swap Meet, the upgrades will ensure The Showgrounds remain a prime venue for sporting, cultural and agricultural events for years to come.
Works include:
- a new multipurpose pavilion redevelopment of the arena
- upgrades to all 4 entrances, perimeter fencing and more.
Works commenced in September 2025 and are expected to be completed in late 2026.
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Updates
26 August 2025 – Head contractor appointed to lead Bendigo Stadium upgrades
Bendigo Stadium is set to be expanded to help it cater for more community sport and attract even more significant sporting and major events to the region.
Fairbrother Pty Ltd will lead upgrades at the Bendigo Stadium, which are funded through the Regional Sports Infrastructure Program.
Fairbrother is a nationally award-winning company with over 50 years of experience in the industry. They have extensive experience delivering projects across regional Victoria including the Bendigo Art Gallery and Galkangu – Bendigo GovHub.
Upgrades at Bendigo Stadium will include 2 new courts, refurbishment to courts 9 and 10, and installation of 200 lux lighting to the 12 outdoor netball courts.
Also included are a new backup generator and the installation of solar panels on the new courts. These changes, along with car parking and accessibility improvements, will help ensure local clubs and visitors have the facilities they need to play year-round.
Bendigo Stadium is home to the WNBL Bendigo Spirit, the Bendigo Braves in the NBL1, and the Bendigo Strikers in the Victorian Netball League. It’s also a thriving hub for community sport, as the home of the Bendigo Basketball Association, Bendigo Volleyball Association, and the Central Victorian Netball Association.
Works at the Stadium are due to begin in September 2025 and are expected to finish in late 2026.
1 October 2024 – Bendigo Stadium and Bendigo Showgrounds set for major upgrades
Upgrades to 2 of Bendigo’s most iconic facilities, the Bendigo Stadium and Bendigo Showgrounds, are a step closer, as we continue to deliver on our commitment to regional sport and events infrastructure.
Expressions of Interest to appoint a Head Contractor are now open, with the focus on engaging local talent, businesses, and suppliers to ensure the projects boost employment and economic opportunities across the Bendigo region.
The upgrades at Bendigo Stadium include a new 2-court annex, upgrades to the existing courts 9 and 10, as well as solar installation, new lighting for the outdoor netball courts, and car park and accessibility works. These improvements will help the stadium maintain its reputation as Bendigo’s premier indoor sports venue.
At the Bendigo Showgrounds, works include a new multipurpose pavilion, a redeveloped arena, and upgrades to entrances and fencing. These changes will enhance the venue’s ability to host community, cultural, and agricultural events.
Both projects are part of the Regional Sports Infrastructure Program, which is delivering 16 major upgrades across the state.
For more information on the Expression of Interest process for each project visit the Buying for Victoria website via the links below:
16 September 2024 – Design work underway at Bendigo Showgrounds and Bendigo Stadium
The Victorian Government’s commitment to upgrade 2 of Bendigo’s premier sporting and events facilities is moving ahead, with the appointment of a Principal Design Consultant for the Bendigo Showgrounds and Bendigo Stadium.
Delivered as part of the Victorian Government’s Bendigo Sports Package, the project will ensure that Bendigo has access to sports facilities that everyone can be proud of, now and in the future.
The successful bidder, City Collective, demonstrated a strong commitment to ensuring these projects are grounded in the community, employing local graduates, partnering with Bendigo-based companies and using locally sourced materials. Bendigo-based RMG Civil & Structural Engineers and Trident Building Surveyors have already been engaged as local sub-contractors to work on these projects.
Visitors to the Bendigo Showgrounds will enjoy a new multipurpose pavilion, alongside a redeveloped arena and upgrades to entrances and fencing, enhancing the showgrounds' reputation as a prime venue for community, cultural, and agricultural events.
The Bendigo Stadium is also set for a major transformation, with a new 2-court annex, refurbishment of 2 existing courts, utility upgrades, solar panels and backup generator, car park and accessibility improvements. There will also be new lighting to the outdoor netball courts, ensuring the Stadium remains Bendigo’s premier elite indoor sports and local competition venue.
A third project in the Bendigo region will see the redevelopment of the iconic Bendigo Bowls Club and Bendigo Croquet Club fields of play and lawn bowls pavilion.
These exciting projects will bring friends, families and the Bendigo community together for sport, events, entertainment and recreation.
The Bendigo Sports Package is being delivered through the Regional Sports Infrastructure Program, which is part of a record $45 billion investment in projects and programs that matter to regional communities.
The Victorian Government is committed to ongoing investments that deliver the things needed by locals to live closer to where they work, help communities build the projects that matter to them, attract more visitors, and support local businesses to grow.
10 April 2024 – Slam dunk for sporting clubs in Bendigo
The Victorian Government is giving Bendigo’s players, fans and grassroots and elite sporting clubs the facilities they need to succeed, with big upgrades to bring more Victorians closer to the action.
A new Bendigo Sports Package is delivering 3 projects across the city as part of the Government’s Regional Sports Infrastructure Program.
Bendigo Stadium is one of 15 facilities across the state receiving upgrades as part of the program, with an expansion that includes a new 2 court annex and upgrades to 2 existing courts.
As the home of the WNBL Bendigo Spirit and NBL1 Bendigo Braves, this landmark investment will attract even more epic indoor sporting events to Bendigo, boosting local jobs, businesses, and the region’s economy.
The project will also upgrade lighting to the outdoor netball courts, while new solar panels and improvements to the car park and accessibility will ensure local clubs have the facilities they need to play year-round.
The Bendigo Sports Package is also delivering important upgrades at some of Bendigo’s heritage sporting clubs – including the historic Bendigo Bowls Club and Bendigo Croquet Club – which will benefit from 4 refurbished bowls greens and 2 refurbished croquet greens, alongside upgrades to the venue’s iconic clubhouse.
A new multipurpose pavilion at Bendigo Showgrounds will draw visitors from far and wide to Bendigo. A redevelopment of the arena – plus upgrades to all 4 entrances and perimeter fencing – will see the Showgrounds remain a prime venue for sporting, cultural and agricultural events for years to come.
These projects will help increase sports participation across Bendigo and bring more elite sport to regional Victoria, supporting local businesses and creating more local jobs.
Further updates on the projects will be provided in the coming months, with the first works to kick off in early 2025.