Thursday, 5 March 2026

 Steve DIMOPOULOS (Oakleigh – Minister for Environment, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Minister for Outdoor Recreation) (14:08): I rise to update the house that last year’s Australian Formula One Grand Prix, if you missed it, was the biggest ever in Albert Park’s history, and we are on track this year again to beat that record in 2026. In fact this year tickets across Friday, Saturday and Sunday sold out in record time – the quickest they have ever sold out in the history of the event. If you have not got a ticket, we want to welcome all Victorians to the fan zone at Fed Square ‍– free fan zone, 10 am till 10 pm, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, live on-track broadcast, racing simulators, entertainment, driver appearances. It is going to be incredible at Fed Square. I want to thank the Albert Park community for their patience and for welcoming us and welcoming people from across the globe. I want to also thank the incredible member for Albert Park for her leadership of her community but also for her leadership in relation to this major event. This event showcases Melbourne and Victoria to 70 million people watching around the world – a global audience – and now with the new Anzac station open tens of thousands of people will be able to access this major event very, very easily.

Under this Premier this event has grown by 25,000 people in just two years, and we are set to beat that record this year. In fact under this Premier we have broken records on almost every single major event in the last 12 months: the Australian Open grand slam, 1.36 million people under this Premier; the Australian Open golf, 113,000 people, the biggest ever in the tournament’s history, under this Premier; Formula One, 465,000 people last year and ticket sales this year have gone better than last year, and we will have the final figures in a few days; one of the biggest AFL finals series in the history of the AFL; and the Kusama exhibition, the biggest ticketed event ever held in the NGV’s history, because we are not a one-trick pony in Victoria. We are not just about sport, we are about culture as well. But all of this is at risk. When the Liberals go hunting for their $11 billion black hole, all of it is at risk.

The SPEAKER: I remind members that it is not appropriate to hit the table when they are making a contribution.