Civic Hall redevelopment costs
The following statement is in response to questions from The Courier regarding the cost of redeveloping the Civic Hall stage 1 and 2, and its current operation.
Statement attributable to City of Ballarat Director of Community Wellbeing, Matt Wilson
The City of Ballarat has invested almost $10 million to transform Civic Hall into a premier entertainment venue for the city.
The total cost of the Civic Hall upgrade was $9,916,556 ($8 million for stage 1 and $1,916,556 for stage 2).
Civic Hall has so far generated more than $128,000 in revenue so far this calendar year, although it is important to note the hall was not open until February for operational reasons.
It is forecast at least $45,000 in further revenue will be made for the remainder of 2022.
Among the major shows coming to Civic Hall in the remainder of 2022 will be star international comedians Arj Barker and Bill Bailey, as well as singer-songwriter Ziggy Alberts.
Since February 2022 the hall has featured Australian music superstar Paul Kelly for multiple shows, with musicians John Williamson and Jon Stevens and comedians Sooshi Mango and Ross Noble among the notable acts in 2022.
Further announcements for additional shows are expected in 2022.
It is important to note Civic Hall has only been open for nine months since its 2019 opening, primarily due to the COVID pandemic.
Commerce Ballarat did not pay a fee for using the hall to host the nomination announcements for the council-sponsored Business Excellence Awards, as it was a brief media opportunity held during the day.
Council’s routine maintenance spend for Civic Hall is as follows: $14,604 for 2020/21, $23,619 for 2021/22 and $2,917 for the current 2022/23 financial year.