Coronavirus: Melbourne Grand Prix canned as events industry faces job losses

The Melbourne Formula One Grand Prix scheduled for March has fallen victim to the pandemic for the second year running, with organisers postponing it until later in the year.

The main straight of the track after the 2020 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix was cancelled in March. Picture: AFP

The Melbourne Formula One Grand Prix scheduled for March has fallen victim to the pandemic for the second year running, with organisers postponing the blue-chip event until later in the season.

Due to take place at Melbourne’s Albert Park Lake circuit from March 18 to 21, the race will now go ahead from November 18.

In a statement on Tuesday, organisers blamed “continuing international travel disruptions and other matters related to coronavirus’’.

The devastating but expected blow comes as Victoria’s events industry has been crippled by the state’s lockdowns and border closures and is facing widescale job losses unless the government can provide guidelines and support for the almost $10bn sector, industry leaders claim.

Save Victorian Events founder Simon Thewlis said the state normally hosts more than 100,000 business events annually and while the government has focused on maintaining large events like the Australian Open and Grand Prix, they have “really spent bugger all time” looking at the corporate side of events.

He said an Ernst Young study in 2015 valued the industry’s contribution to the state economy at $9.98bn and 65,479 jobs.

“It’s a massive part of the event industry but we’re largely unable to operate still because there’s no guidelines out … the government hasn’t given their stamp of approval,” he said.

Mr Thewlis said repeated border closings prevented interstate attendees and even with this week’s traffic light system announcement, borders could shut with no notice.

“How can people commit tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to business events if in months they’re going to be cancelled or unviable?” he said.

He said corporate events weren’t as “sexy” as the Grand Prix but made up 90 per cent of the industry economically and the government had provided no financial support.