Wednesday, 4 February 2026

 Renee HEATH (Eastern Victoria) (18:24): (2265) My adjournment matter is directed to the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events. Phillip Island could lose one of the most iconic sporting events in the world, the Australian MotoGP. This event is not a novelty, it is not expendable. This event is the cornerstone of the Bass Coast economy. Bass Coast Shire Council has made this clear. It has formally reaffirmed its strong support for the MotoGP to continue beyond 2026, noting that the event delivers $54.6 million in total economic benefit, including $29.4 million in direct local spend, and that supports 284 full-time equivalent jobs. Yet despite this, the Labor government is allowing the event to continue to decline. In the early 1980s the site was a paddock. Through local vision and effort it became a world-class circuit. In 1989, 93,000 fans attended race day. Today attendance is falling and facilities are deteriorating, access roads are unsafe and people are beginning to not be able to access this amazing event. Riders themselves say they receive better value at Asian MotoGP events, where governments invest properly and make the supporters feel welcome.

This is not new. Victorians remember the last time the Labor government lost the 500cc grand prix. Small businesses suffered, some closed. A Liberal government fought to bring it back in the 1990s. Now history is repeating itself. What makes this worse is the government’s own hypocrisy. In 2025 Labor’s Victorian minister for tourism said that the MotoGP ‘showcases the Bass Coast to a global audience and delivers a boost to local businesses’. The local Labor member said it is ‘packing local restaurants and hotels and providing a massive boost for our local economy’.

The new owners of the MotoGP, a United States company, are watching closely. They see declining infrastructure investment, poor access and indifference. New South Wales and South Australia are waiting and already meeting with the owners. Phillip Island, and Victoria, could host its last MotoGP this coming year. This matters. Around 11 per cent of Victorians hold a motorcycle licence. This is not a niche issue, it is regional Victoria being taken for granted again. The action that I seek from the minister is this: will the government commit to the infrastructure, access and venue investment required to keep the Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island beyond this year?