The state government’s decision to lock out spectators from the Geelong Cup, whilst allowing 10,000 people to attend the Melbourne Cup, is another cruel blow for regional Victoria.
With almost 75 per cent of the eligible Geelong population fully vaccinated, the Geelong Cup crowd ban is blatant discrimination.
The Geelong Cup ordinarily attracts between 12,000 to 15,000 spectators so this will cost our local economy dearly.
As usual, local Labor MPs are missing in action just as they were when the Bells Beach Rip Curl Pro was sent packing to NSW.
Whether it be shutting down local events, locking out Melburnians from regional Victoria or forcing hospitality and retail businesses to their knees, Labor MPs have done nothing to stand up for our basic freedoms.
Daniel Andrews must give Victorians the same freedoms as NSW. This includes green lighting COVID safe events, allowing retail businesses to trade indoors and permitting hospitality to reopen with sensible density quotients (DQ4 indoors and DQ2 outdoors) with no overarching cap.
The Geelong Racing Club could have run a fabulous COVID safe event but instead the race track will be deserted.
19 October 2021