Ronnie’s mystery Phillip Island report revealed

THE new dynamic duo from the Bass Coast Shire Council, Mayor Cr Brett Tessari, and Deputy Mayor, Cr Ronnie Bauer, wasted no time, since their election to office on April 29, getting down to Spring Street to press the flesh.

Never mind the public stoush they had last month with out-going Bass MP Jordan Crugnale over funding for the protection of the Western Port Woodlands, and grant funding in general.

Bold as brass, our two civic leaders were back at it last Tuesday, May 12, accompanied by shire CEO Greg Box, literally banging on the doors of State Parliament for some extra money, and meeting with whoever would come to the door.

And they did a good job, even by their own account.

“We’re down here in Spring Street at Parliament House, Ronnie, deputy mayor, and myself, Brett. We've been knocking and banging on the doors to make sure that they know we're serious about funding,” said Cr Tessari

“Ronnie, the advocacy, we're pushing hard,” said Cr Tessari in a short video on social media.

In the video, Cr Bauer can be seen clutching a copy of the ‘Repositioning Phillip Island Economic Future’ report which as local council watcher, Graham Jolly of Cape Woolamai, informed us hadn’t previously been published.

So, following a Sentinel-Times’ request on Friday morning last week, the report went up on the shire’s Engage Bass Coast website on Friday afternoon, detailing six rescue packages for Phillip Island to make up for the loss of the MotoGP, and then some.

The new report, which likely comes out of the shire’s advocacy priorities, was hawked around by the mayor and the deputy mayor to any of the State MPs, ministers and shadow ministers who would listen – no list yet!

Here are some of the details about the packages, including a bid to get the government to invest in sporting infrastructure, such as a sports and aquatic centre, that will attract sports events, visitation and tourism.

Now, where have we heard that concept before? Ah yes, it was the brainchild of the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre Fund Inc.

• Package 1: Building a year-round pipeline of iconic, multi-day events to drive overnight visitation, regional promotion and replace the economic impact of MotoGP. What’s needed: A dedicated event coordination fund for Phillip Island and Bass Coast to develop, evolve and grow our hero events; and to attract and deliver significant new events from 2027 to 2030, building on the likes of Ocean Sounds and the Island Whale Festival while introducing new events like the Festival of Motorsports.
• Package 2: Positioning Bass Coast and Phillip Island as a leading eco and wellness destination grounded in nature, culture and sustainability.
• Package 3: Elevating the region as a nationally recognised cultural destination through storytelling, First Nations leadership and creative programming.
• Package 4: Strengthening local operators to deliver high-quality, year-round visitor experiences and build long-term industry capability.
• Package 5: Investing in enabling infrastructure to support major events, sport tourism and community use.
• Package 6: Improving access to and movement around the Island to support visitation growth and long-term economic transition.

In the detail for Package 5, the shire calls on the government to invest in “quality sports infrastructure that can host regional and state level sporting events, to open spaces for markets, festivals or a timeless picnic in the park, quality outdoor spaces enrich the appeal of towns for both the local community and visitors.”

“The loss of the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix represents a significant economic inflection point for Phillip Island, Bass Coast and Victoria. The event has contributed approximately $54 million annually to the Victorian economy and $29 million directly to Bass Coast, underpinning visitation, employment and industry confidence.

“Over the next ten-year horizon, this represents over $290 million economic gap.”

Without significant investment by government, this gap represents a huge hit to local business and tourism.

See a copy of the new Phillip Island 'future' report here.