Thursday, 5 October 2023

Southern Metropolitan Region

John BERGER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:41): (440) My question is for the Minister for Racing in the other place, Minister Carbines. Melbourne is the racing capital of Australia. Racing has a long and proud history in Victoria, and it is a significant contributor to our economy and to the cultural fabric of our state in the spring months. Over the next few weeks we will be witness to a massive show that we put on best, and in two weeks time it comes to Caulfield. We have got a world-class racing and training industry that employs thousands of people right across our state. Racing generates $4.7 billion for the Victorian economy and is directly responsible for sustaining 34,900 full-time equivalent jobs, many of which are in my community of Southern Metro. That is why my question to the minister is: what flow-on economic benefits do the Caulfield Cup Carnival and the Melbourne Racing Club bring to the many local businesses and the community and culture of Southern Metro?