It is a pleasure to rise to speak in favour of the State Sporting Legislation Amendment Bill 2024. From the outset I would like to thank the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events and his team for the immense effort that has been put into this piece of legislation, and I trust that it will make a positive impact on Victorians. I take great pride in knowing that Melbourne and Victoria are the sporting and major events capital of Australia. There is no doubt that people from across the world find Victoria to be a destination state, whether it be for the concerts, for the Australian Open or to visit the biggest stadium in the Southern Hemisphere, and this is only possible thanks to this government’s continued investment into this sector to both attract talent to perform in our state and ensure that major events stay right here in Victoria.
Not only are these events a source of great entertainment and enjoyment, but they also provide a significant boost to Victoria’s economy. Take the Australian Open, for example, where we are privileged to host the best players in the world in one of only four tennis grand slams. More than 1.1 million fans passed through the gates across three weeks, which created some 1700 jobs and contributed more than $387 million to Victoria’s economy. As anyone who has been to Melbourne Park knows, we host some of the most modern, clean and up-to-date facilities in the world. This government made a significant contribution of close to $1 billion for the Melbourne Park redevelopment, and over the past 10 years the Australian Open has returned that investment threefold. A thriving Melbourne and Olympic Park complex means that the Australian Open will remain in Melbourne until at least 2046, and we will continue to attract performances to the Rod Laver Arena. This area has generated more than $740 million in visitor spend alone in the past 12 months, with it hosting nearly 100 concerts and 50 other entertainment events and welcoming more than 3 million visitors in total. A clear indication of the economic success of this government’s investment is that some 1.2 million bed nights were booked in hotels as more than 900,000 visitors from other parts of the state flocked to Melbourne. From Robbie Williams, Dua Lipa and Billie Eilish the precinct brought some $880 million in revenue, forming 6 per cent of Australia’s sports industry and 9 per cent of the country’s live entertainment industry. This cumulatively has created 4200 jobs, with an additional 1600 jobs supported indirectly across precinct activities.
Our commitment to strengthening Melbourne as the events capital of the country is good for jobs, good for opportunities and good for the economy. Another example of Melbourne’s sporting prowess is the Formula One Australian Grand Prix, which had an estimated attendance of more than 450,000 people. Hotel occupancy averaged more than 91 per cent during the week, and networks recorded the biggest ever live stream audience.
To ensure that Melbourne and Victoria continue to thrive in hosting sporting and major events we must proactively work towards improving legislative frameworks, and this bill seeks to do just that by improving consistency in governance provisions and reducing red tape as well as modernising legislation. This will ensure that important decisions can be made with greater efficiency. Necessary amendments will be made to five state sporting acts: the Kardinia Park Stadium Act 2016, the Melbourne and Olympic Parks Act 1985, the Melbourne Cricket Ground Act 2009, the Professional Boxing and Combat Sports Act 1985 and the State Sport Centres Act 1994.
The change to the Kardinia Park Stadium Act will allow for the minister for sport rather than the Governor in Council to make event management decisions. This will cut waiting periods, increasing efficiency. This bill also abolishes the Kardinia Park advisory committee and the State Netball and Hockey Centre advisory committee. The reason for this decision is that both committees are advisory bodies with no decision-making authority. Considering that the appointment process is arduous, these changes will facilitate a similar process in which advice is received, albeit without the delays and administrative difficulties.
Further red tape is cut by allowing the minister to delegate floodlight determinations for the MCG to the department, as well as reducing the administrative burden for the Melbourne and Olympic Parks Trust. Consistency will be applied across both trust and advisory committee applications and resignation processes by empowering the minister to appoint acting chairpersons and members and receive resignations directly. Additionally, this bill removes outdated provisions which prohibit Tennis Australia and Tennis Victoria employees from being eligible for payment as members of the Melbourne and Olympic Parks Trust and increases the maximum number of members on both the MCG and the State Sport Centres trust.
Changes will be made to the ANZAC Day Act 1958 to update language choices and modernise the legislation such that it is fit for purpose. Amendments will be made to update measurement terminology and remove outdated gendered language – I think we are going from miles to kilometres, finally.
As a sports fan myself – go Cats – I know how much of a privilege it is to have excellent and accessible sporting facilities in your community, whether they be there for major events or for local community sport. I say that as a proud representative of the Glen Waverley district, which is home to some of the best community sports infrastructure in the state. It is always a pleasure to be invited down to visit clubs and learn more about the incredible work they do. Although there are too many to mention I would like to give a special shout-out to some of the local sporting heroes in the Glen Waverley community.
Firstly, congratulations to the Whitehorse United Soccer Club on its incredible success over the last 30 years. It went from one team to 48 teams, and it is truly a thriving community club. It was an absolute pleasure to join the committee members Enrico Marrone, Amanda Armstrong, Karen Foreman, 
John
Parisella, Kim Marrone, Andrew Findlay, Terry Howse and Maria Mavrogiannis at their annual president’s lunch last weekend. From meeting with life members, sponsors, supporters and families to learning about the possible improvements the club could undergo, it was a special day. I would like to again acknowledge the ongoing issues of drainage on the ground, and I look forward to working with council to address this issue to ensure that the club has a viable pitch to train and play on.
I would also like to take a moment to reflect on the incredible life of Paul ‘Bluey’ Tierney, who was a stalwart of the Blackburn baseball club. A member of the inaugural team from some 61 years ago, he devoted so much of his time to the game he loved and the club he served. I want to acknowledge Bluey’s work in being an instrumental part of the rebuild and success of the Blackburn baseball club. Without Bluey’s passion and tireless commitment the baseball community just would not be the same, and I offer my condolences to his family and friends.
And of course a special shout-out to the amazing crew down at the Mazenod Panthers. The Panthers, who play at Central Reserve, which has received $300,000 in the latest budget for resurfacing the south oval, are a kind and nurturing club. Just this past weekend the Panthers played against the Monash Demons in the George Soles Memorial Cup, in recognition of his service as a committee member and timekeeper for more than 20 years. This weekend after a remarkable record-breaking 20 years of playing in Mazenod colours, Mark Vanderven and Simon Pollock will be playing their 200th games for the mighty Panthers. This is an incredible achievement, and I know their loyalty and courage is an inspiration to all.
It is an honour to have so many amazing community sports clubs in my electorate, and to see the smiles on everyone’s faces as they learn and grow is a joy. A special thankyou to all the players, coaches, staff, parents and volunteers who make it happen, and I look forward to joining our community at more of these events soon. Local sport is the backbone of our community, and whether it be funding to resurface the oval at Central Reserve south or building a new pavilion at Brandon Park Reserve, this government is backing in the next generation of superstars that will hopefully one day play in the precincts that this legislation changes.
Briefly, best wishes to the Australian Olympic team competing in Paris as we speak now. A special shout-out to Marena Whittle in the women’s basketball team, Nicholas Lum from the table tennis team and William Petric from the swimming squad. Marena, Nicholas and William are all residents of the Glen Waverley district, and they are all doing us very proud, representing the best in our district.
I am proud to be part of an Allan Labor government that backs our state’s position as the sporting and major events capital of this country. Our continuing investment will ensure that we receive the economic and social benefits, as well as giving Victorians an opportunity to be the best versions of themselves. I strongly believe that this bill, by making these minor amendments to the state sporting legislation and the ANZAC Day Act, will have a positive impact on cementing our place as a thriving sports and major events hub, and I commend the bill to the house.
