Wednesday, 30 August 2023

Commonwealth Games

Martin CAMERON (Morwell) (19:04): (323) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, and the action I seek is for the minister to provide compensation to businesses in the Latrobe Valley who will be thousands of dollars out of pocket as a result of Labor cancelling the Commonwealth Games. Last week I met with the owners of a motel located on the doorstep of the would-be athletes village in Morwell; the small family-run business was buzzing last month after securing a huge contract. After lots of back and forth the motel reached an agreement with Team England and Team Wales, who decided to use the motel as their base for six weeks in the lead-up to and during the games. Team England had been out several times to Australia, such was the want for this to be their home base. The upgrades that the owners had made to the motel then seemed to be about to pay big dividends. The contract, worth $300,000 or around that amount, was due to be inked the very day Premier Andrews and Minister Allan cancelled the Commonwealth Games, but instead of preparing for the influx of visitors that would surely bolster their small business, the owners are now devastated. All their hard work will amount to nothing.

Like so many in my electorate and across regional Victoria, this business has survived the closure of Hazelwood, COVID lockdowns and skyrocketing operational costs by the skin of its teeth. This massive blow at the hands of the Andrews Labor government has set small businesses back years and tens of thousands of dollars, yet they have unbelievably not been considered or even mentioned in discussions about compensation or financial relief. My electorate has been decimated by the Andrews Labor government. The Premier has pulled the rug out from under the local workforce with the closure of Hazelwood, the white paper mill, the native timber industry and soon all coal-fired power stations. Our small business sector is resilient – do not get me wrong – but the cancellation of the Commonwealth Games is a huge hit that must be met with financial aid. Minister, what is being done to ensure small businesses in the Latrobe Valley and regional Victoria are adequately compensated for the financial losses associated with Labor’s cancellation of the Commonwealth Games – or as we call it in the valley, the Con Games?