SOUTH Bendigo Football Netball Club wants to develop Harry Trott Oval into a sporting and community hub for the southern suburbs.
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As part of the plan the Bloods will move their base from the QEO to the Kennington venue.
While the Bloods would still play most of their home games at the QEO, the club sees the move as the key to its long-term survival.
The Bloods have spent three years developing a two-phase plan that they will discuss with City of Greater Bendigo councillors on Wednesday night.
The first phase includes a lighting upgrade at Harry Trott Oval that would allow the club to make the venue a permanent training base from this pre-season.
The second phase includes a major overhaul of Harry Trott Oval facilities, with the club hoping to build a new multi-purpose facility and social club that would be utilised by sporting and community groups.
"We feel as though we'd be better served away from the QEO,'' South Bendigo general manager Mal Balnaves said.
"For the future of our club - juniors and seniors - we think we'll be better off in a suburban base.
"It will give us good grounding as far as sustainability is concerned... and a great opportunity to develop a complex that would benefit the community.
"It's a long-term thing, it's not going to happen overnight, but we think it's a no-brainer."
South Bendigo, which still has a lease on its QEO social rooms for another four years, is fed up with having to find alternative training venues away from the QEO.
"We train out of a trailer, we pack the kiosk up every week... you can't just keep doing that if you want the club to have a sustainable future,'' Balnaves said.
"We want a base we can call our own. Eaglehawk is getting their new facility, Strathfieldsaye are up and about.
"If we don't do something about our club's future now, we'll get left behind.
"We're getting on the front foot and creating some discussion about it. We think it's a positive move."
