State government tables undisclosed financial sweetener as the current deal nears its end, with the event’s future location still unresolved
The Victorian Government has moved to keep the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island, putting additional money on the table in an effort to ensure the MotoGP circus remains in regional Victoria beyond the current contract, which is due to expire this year.
The state says the extra funding is being offered as an incentive to event operator MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group (formerly Dorna) to continue staging the October round on the island. The government won’t disclose the size of the offer, and it remains unclear whether the company will accept it.
MotoGP has been a fixture at Phillip Island since the 1990s, drawing thousands of visitors to Gippsland’s Bass Coast each year. Tourism, Sport and Major Events Minister Steve Dimopoulos said 91,000 people attended the event last year as negotiations continue over its long-term future.
It’s understood the operator is interested in relocating the event to Melbourne’s Albert Park, a move Dimopoulos said the state government opposes. “We’re not selling out Phillip Island,” he said. “The negotiations are still on foot. And we’ve put our best foot forward.”
The latest funding push follows a community campaign to keep the race on the island, after residents and Bass Coast Shire Council last year issued an urgent call for the event’s contract to be renewed. Bass Coast Mayor Rochelle Halstead said she had received scant detail about the financial support on offer, but said it spoke to the local fight to retain the grand prix. She also confirmed a petition with more than 4,000 signatures was submitted to the government last year.
“I’m absolutely thrilled. There was a lot of concern that this may not happen and that’s why we started a campaign. People came out and showed their love for the race,” Halstead said. She’s now hoping any agreement brings more than just continuity. “I’m hoping as part of the agreement to see an infrastructure investment at the site to bring it to international standards, and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in the contract and how long that has been signed for. But [the GP] is absolutely part of the Bass Coast community fabric.”
While the MotoGP talks continue, the opening round of the WorldSBK championship will take place at the famed circuit this weekend.
