Wednesday, 30 July 2025

Ministers statements: major events

Steve DIMOPOULOS (Oakleigh – Minister for Environment, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Minister for Outdoor Recreation) (14:24): We on this side of the house know Victoria is the best place to live and visit. We do not talk down the only city in the world to have a grand prix, a grand slam and, from next year, because of this Premier, regular season NFL matches. Let us take a minute to reflect on what happened just this weekend gone. On Saturday you could walk down to Marvel Stadium and watch Jeremy Cameron kick 11 in a dominant performance against the Deputy Premier’s team. On Sunday those present witnessed the greatest comeback in AFL history when St Kilda stormed home to defeat Melbourne. Or you could head down to the Regent Theatre and watch the Australian exclusive of Beetlejuice right here in Collins Street. Or you could join 90,000 other people and watch the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, with its most important match right here in Melbourne.

It is important to take a moment to note what this investment was worth. Forty thousand people from the UK came to Victoria. Hotel occupancy rates were the biggest they had been since the F1. Accor Hotels, who have many properties in Melbourne, say, ‘massive year-on-year increase and another great example of the importance of events for the hotel sector’. Bars and pubs saw a 94 per cent increase on the week before in sales – 94 per cent in one week in uplift in spend. The Wellington pub, right here in the CBD, said it has been one of the busiest weeks on record in Melbourne in Victoria. But these visitors do not just stay in Melbourne, as the members for Eureka, Wendouree and Ripon know. They met some of those international visitors at Sovereign Hill. They go out and explore the regions. The Bendigo Art Gallery just finished the Frida Kahlo exhibition – 100,000 people through the doors – and of course Lenny Kravitz will sing a personal tribute to the member for Mildura later this year. Under this Premier, Victoria remains the cultural power of this country.