What's cooking, Jordan? Replacing MotoGP and more

THERE’S only five months left until Bass MP Jordan Crugnale’s eight-year stint in State Parliament comes to an end, but the pace has quickened, if anything, to get things done while there’s still time.

Last week, the Sentinel-Times visited State Parliament, and in between answering the voting bells, Ms Crugnale sat down to talk about what’s happening in the Bass Electorate.

And top of the list is responding to the loss of the Phillip Island MotoGP, where, according to Ms Crugnale, there’s a lot going on.

“Together with the council, I’m constantly in contact with the Minister for Sport and Major Events, Steve Dimopoulous, and we’re expecting an announcement this year about what goes into that timeslot (October 2027),” said Ms Crugnale.

“He’s right across what the council, community and business are saying, and what the community is looking for and we saw that with his responses to PAEC (Public Accounts and Estimates Committee hearings) last month.

“And not just what happens in October, it’s also about attracting other events across the year and expanding what we already have including the Island Whale Festival, Ocean Sounds, the shearwaters, the motor sports, the surfing events and all the rest.

“Just getting more of the people who visit the penguins to stay overnight would take care of much of that,” she said.

“But we’re also looking at the car ferry again, there’s more buses, the opening of the spa, and developing more visitor opportunities like glamping, star gazing and the like.

“The bridge works have started at San Remo and we’re preparing the tender for the Newhaven Jetty works. We’d expect that to go to market in a few weeks’ time.

“We’ve met with Nature Parks, Destination Phillip Island, facilitated meetings for council with Government Ministers and when the Minister makes an announcement (about what comes after the MotoGP), that’s not all.”

But one thing that isn't on the menu, is what she'll do for dessert.

"There's family education priorities and changes ahead but beyond that, no, I don't know what I'll do next," said the former teacher and volunteer fire fighter.

Minister’s pledge to Phillip Island

Ms Crugnale pointed to the exchange between Minister Dimopoulous and the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC) for what the Minister was planning to do at Phillip Island.

Here in full is what the Minister had to say. It makes important reading for business operators and interested members of the Phillip Island and broader Bass Coast communities.

• Richard Riordan (Member for Polwarth): Thanks, Chair. The recent decision not to renew the Phillip Island MotoGP has resulted in a loss of $54.6 million in economic impact for the state, including $29.4 million in direct local spending on the Bass Coast. Secretary, given that Phillip Island has already lost one major event, when is the current World Superbike Championship contract due to expire?
• Steve Dimopoulos: I know you have asked the Secretary, but just quickly, there is no loss because we have got it for this year and we will fill the calendar for next year. So, I do not accept the premise that there was a loss, because it has not gone yet, and we are going to fill it in 2027 with something else.
• Richard Riordan: I am not sure that Bass Coast see that, but anyway.
• Matt Carrick (Secretary Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions): In a second I will ask the Deputy Secretary to expand on my answer, but what I can say is that both the department and also Visit Victoria are looking at ways to ensure that we can make sure that the Phillip Island economy is supported by attracting events and undertaking activities that will in fact help with the economics of the island. So that is something we are doing, but I might ask the Deputy.
• Richard Riordan: Okay. I am actually just interested in the World Superbike Championship contract expiry.
• Georgina McCann (Deputy Secretary, Sport and Experience Economy): That current contract expires in 2027.
• Richard Riordan: 2027. Okay. Thank you. What is the current status of negotiations for that contract? Is that actively underway at the moment?
• Steve Dimopoulos: Mr Riordan, if I could just intervene here, that is an arrangement that is directly between Dorna, the licence holder, and the Phillip Island landlord. The Victorian government is an investor in it, but the two separate parties are to negotiate that, so it is not the usual MotoGP example with that one.

• Richard Riordan: Right. But as an investor you have got a vested interest presumably in supporting them. Have they come to you yet with any requests?
• Steve Dimopoulos: I have a longstanding practice to protect Victorian taxpayer interests and not to delve into publicly to negotiations. But can I just say this for the Bass Coast community and for all of Victoria: our calendar is compelling because of its breadth and scope – regional and metro. I do not accept that for a moment. We let it go; we did not lose it. We let it go because we said we were not going to move it to Albert Park. That is what they wanted, and I want to be really clear about that. But it is really important because we were not going to turn our backs on Phillip Island. We’re not going to do that. Our calendar is important and impressive because it covers all across Victoria, not just Melbourne. So, we let it go; let us be really clear.
• Richard Riordan: Okay. You have let it go; it is now a done deal, and it has gone elsewhere. What was the state’s financial contribution to the MotoGP Australian round, including any local investment in the Phillip Island community? What was our past commitment with that?
• Steve Dimopoulos: Again, Mr Riordan, because we are still in the contract, we have still got one in October 2026, so this October, which the grand prix corporation assures me, because they help run it, will be a big, big event – the biggest ever – to send them off after 30 years. I do not share what is important information so that any other state or any other country can seize on that.
• Richard Riordan: It is all a bit irrelevant, really, now, isn’t it? It is all done.
• Steve Dimopoulos: No, it is not actually, because other jurisdictions can make an approximation based on a price over here and what they offer over there – absolutely. But can I just say, when I had the…
• Richard Riordan: Okay. So, if you are having a big send-off, are you spending more this year than you would have ordinarily?

• Steve Dimopoulos: The grand prix corporation will put on an excellent event, and…
• Richard Riordan: You said a big bash. Is it a bigger than normal event, or is the contribution the same?
• Steve Dimopoulos: You can actually make it bigger without spending more. For example, you might want to invite every past winner to do a lap. You know, you can make it quite compelling without spending money, but that is a matter for the grand prix corporation, who run it.
• Richard Riordan: Okay. Minister, your government has already failed to deliver for regional communities with the Commonwealth Games, with probably, arguably, the biggest broken promise in the history of regional Victoria. Can we really expect you to deliver on finding those replacements? The Secretary talked about that before, with no specifics, but made that pledge. How should regional Victorians, and particularly those on the Bass Coast, rate that promise?
• Steve Dimopoulos: They should have faith in our 30-year history in running that event, and I am talking about both governments. They should have absolute faith in the best calendar. We are in a league of our own; there is no comparison. People talk about other comparisons in this country…
• Richard Riordan: We are the only jurisdiction that spent $500 million to pay for an international event in another city, in another country. That is true. We are certainly in a league of our own there.
• Steve Dimopoulos: In terms of major events we are in a league of our own. To talk about regional Victoria – the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships, on the Great Ocean Road; we have got the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.
• Richard Riordan: Yes, you do come down to my patch a bit, Minister. I accept that.
• Steve Dimopoulos: Yes, that is right. Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach – we do huge content, exclusive content, for the whole country. At Bendigo gallery…
• Richard Riordan: My question was: you have made a commitment to Bass Coast about filling the gap…
• Steve Dimopoulos: And we will meet it.
• Richard Riordan: What, as early as next year?
• Steve Dimopoulos: My aspiration is to announce well before this October’s MotoGP what will replace it in 2027.

And the work continues

Meanwhile the electorate work continues, meeting Bass Electorate residents and helping them with their concerns, and keeping constituents up-to-date with their particular interests.

And in the parliament too, right through until 5.38am on Friday morning, June 5. Among the issues Ms Crugnale rose to speak about were the following:

• Rego rebate (June 2)
• Bass Electorate health services (June 3)
• Activity centre housing initiative (June 4)
• Working from home

Bass Electorate health services

Bass MP Jordan Crugnale has invited the Health Minister, her Gippsland colleague Harriet Shing MP, to visit local hospitals at her earliest opportunity, and also to officially open the Phillip Island Community Hospital, which is now fully operational. No date has yet been set but you can bet it will be within the next month or two.

Here's what Ms Crugnale said about local health services in the adjournment debate:

“My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Health, and the action I seek is for the minister to visit my electorate of Bass to meet with and hear directly from our extraordinarily dedicated and deeply caring healthcare workers at Kooweerup health service, Phillip Island Community Hospital and Wonthaggi Hospital. We have a wonderful local story to tell with a number of initiatives and signature projects completed, underway, expanding and on the horizon, all translating to better health care close to home.

“Kooweerup health service, an ideal first visit, operate an outstanding early parenting unit supporting families with babies aged zero to 12 months through tailored programs and expert care. Recently they received funding to upgrade nurse call systems at the Killara and Westernport units, improving safety and responsiveness for patients and staff.

“It is also time for the official opening of the Phillip Island Community Hospital, a significant milestone for our region.

“At Wonthaggi Hospital we are getting on with delivering stage 2A, and that is a new pharmacy, a medical imaging suite, pathology services and more. This year’s budget continues our strong commitment to accessible healthcare and wellbeing supports, including ongoing mental health services at Phillip Island health hub, free meningococcal B vaccinations for year 10 students in 2027, an urgent care clinic at Cranbourne Community Hospital, the opening of Pakenham in early 2027 and a new PET scanner at the redeveloped $1.1 billion Frankston Hospital.

“Since 2014, we have opened 11 new hospitals and employed over 40,000 extra nurses, midwives, doctors and healthcare workers, and I thank them for the amazing care they deliver every day. Thank you, Minister. I look forward to seeing you on your visit.

Getting work-life balance right

On a day (last Thursday, June 4) when parliament adjourned at 5.38am on Friday morning, Ms Crugnale was on her feet on a number of occasions throughout the day, including rising to speak at length on the ‘Working from home’ debate 10 minutes after midnight.

The subject of the debate was the motion moved by former Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas: “That this house condemns the opposition leader for failing to: (a) stop the Shadow Treasurer’s reckless campaign for mandatory five-day office return; (b) condemn the Shadow Treasurer for spreading misinformation on working from home; and (c) commit to Labor’s plan to legislate working from home as a right for Victorians.”

“I rise after the clock has struck midnight on this fine new day to speak on a matter that goes to the heart of modern working life in Victoria: how we support people to live, work and thrive in a way that reflects the realities of our time.

“Because when we talk about work, we are not just talking about jobs or desks or buildings, we are talking about people and we are talking about people trying to balance life, care and career.”

Ms Crugnale argued that flexible work reflects the realities of modern life and helps Victorians achieve a better balance of work, family and community responsibilities. She said the right to work from home is not a radical idea but a practical response to technological change and workers’ demonstrated ability to remain productive outside traditional offices.

From 1 September 2026, Victorians whose jobs can be performed remotely will have a legal right to work from home two days a week. Embedded in the Equal Opportunity Act 2010, the reform aims to ensure access to flexible work is fair, enforceable and not dependent on an individual’s bargaining power.

Crugnale cited strong public support, noting that more than 36,000 Victorians contributed feedback and nearly three-quarters considered the right to work from home extremely important. She highlighted benefits including reduced commuting time and costs, improved work-life balance and increased productivity, with many workers reporting they perform better when working remotely.

Crugnale concluded that a two-day hybrid model provides a balanced approach, supporting both collaboration and flexibility, while recognising that the debate is ultimately about trust in workers and modern workplaces.

“When people work closer to home, they do not just benefit individually, their whole community benefits. Local cafes see more morning coffees and lunchtime trade. Small retailers welcome more foot traffic throughout the day. Gyms, parks and recreation spaces become part of people’s regular routines, not something squeezed into an already exhausting commute. The volunteers at our clubs, whether they be sporting, artistic, social, support groups, community groups, environmental groups, cultural organisations, food relief, our emergency services, lifesaving, CFA or SES – the list is elongated – and their commitment to having their community at heart means, when they are able to work from home, they can make it to their kids’ training, attend call-outs and not have to navigate a long commute, dedicated as they are already.”