Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-11-12 Daily Xml

Contents

Superloop Adelaide 500

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (15:07): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Treasurer a question regarding major events.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: On 29 October this year, it was announced that the Adelaide 500 had been permanently cancelled by the state government, but in the previous month of September it was reported in The Advertiser that the government had only given up the next race in March and was seeking to replace it with a race later in the year. I quote:

We are working with Supercars on revised dates for the 2021 event and looking to have this resolved in time for their calendar release, currently planned for the back half of October.

The Adelaide races are Supercars' most attended event. Despite the total attendance falling to 206,350 this year, its lowest number since 2002, it still attracted more fans than the 2019 Bathurst 100, which attracted—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Wortley has the call.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: The 2019 Bathurst 1000, which attracted 201,975. My questions to the Treasurer are:

1. Would you agree that a race that in a bad year attracts more spectators than the Bathurst 1000 is worth keeping in Adelaide?

2. In the space of just one month, how can the government go from trying to reschedule a single race to cancelling all races?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (15:09): The lead-up to the government's decision, which has now been announced, is of great interest to the honourable member, but the reality is that the government has taken and announced a decision, and it is being implemented. I can't offer any more detail to the honourable member's question other than what is already on the public record from the Minister for Tourism, who is also the Premier.