The Victoria state government announced on Sunday that Melbourne "secured the hosting rights" to the Australian F1 Grand Prix until '23, according to Julian Linden of REUTERS. Melbourne last year signed an agreement to continue hosting the race until '20 and Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said the state government had agreed to a three-year extension to '23. Andrew said in a statement, "There's nothing quite like the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne and the buzz it creates around our state." Despite posting record losses amid "soaring costs and declining revenue, Melbourne has retained its place as the opening race on the calendar" (REUTERS, 9/12). In Melbourne, Willingham & Choahan reported Victorian taxpayers are "in the dark about how much the state is forking out" to keep the Grand Prix in Melbourne until '23. The '14 race at Albert Park cost Victorian taxpayers nearly A$60M. In a video posted on Facebook, Andrews teased his counterpart in NSW, Mike Baird, with the news that the F1 race was here to stay in the "sports and major events capital of our nation." The cost of the contract extension to the state is unknown, with Andrews "repeatedly saying on Sunday morning" that the government would not reveal the cost. He said there was a "very competitive environment to secure the race's future." Andrews: "NSW desperately wanted it. There are other states in Australia who are interested, other countries in our region that would do almost anything to have this race in their city" (THE AGE, 9/13).
