THE term ”white elephant” denotes a possession that is useless or troublesome, especially one that is expensive to maintain or difficult to dispose of.
I thought it was worth referencing because it is a term that has been regularly used to describe the new Mildura Sporting Precinct.
Any story the Sunraysia Daily writes about the $40-plus million precinct is met with genuine hostility from some sections of the community, notably on social media, where, let’s be honest, negativity reigns supreme.
But let’s look at the facts.
Now that the precinct is up and running, the early evidence shows that this precinct is going to be the enormous community asset that we all hoped it would be.
While it is not yet operating at full throttle given Stage 2 works have only just begun, it is already a thriving hub.
On any night of the week, the carpark, which is still to be extended, is full.
The six new courts inside the stadium are full, with the temperature set at about 22 degrees for player and spectator comfort.
Ask anyone who has played at the Hothouse during the depths of winter or the height of summer if they are liking the change of environment.
What this ambitious project was always about was providing a first-class sporting facility that would not only attract state and national events, but help drive community participation and all the healthy outcomes that result from that.
So, what is the early evidence?
Tellingly, participation numbers are up at the new venue. In some cases, way up.
Since moving in to the new precinct, volleyball has seen a dramatic 50 per cent spike in player numbers, while basketball has also exploded, with 33 more teams registering for the winter season compared to last year.
The venue has already attracted a junior Victorian volleyball championships event, which will draw families from all across the state. And, of course, later in the year, one of the world’s biggest rock acts, Kings of Leon, will perform there in front of an estimated crowd of 15,000.
On any measure, this is a good start.
Remember, too, that much work still needs to be done.
The Sunraysia Daily has not shied away from calling out Mildura Council over some of the major issues with the project to date. Of particular concern was the lack of spectator amenities with the initial plan.
The show court in the basketball stadium fell well short of what was required. As it stands, it still can’t even cater for Mildura Heat Big V games, let alone potential NBL games.
And then there was the main AFL-standard oval, which had no seating or shade for spectators.
But those community concerns have been heard and work is being done to remedy a number of these issues.
When work around the sporting oval is complete, Mildura will be able to put its hand up to potentially host AFL or AFLW matches, or BBL or WBBL games. It has international standard lighting and an elite playing surface that is the envy of other regional centres.
It opens up enormous possibilities for the local cricket association to get creative next summer. Do they rotate regular Friday night Twenty20 matches into their regular season fixture, or forget Country Week and instead invite other associations for a T20 comp here? Who knows? But we have a venue that can open our minds to these things.
This facility is only in its infancy, but what is clear already is that it ain’t no white elephant. It’s a winner.
Who’s got time for the knockers anyway? We’ve got games to play.
