Deputy Speaker,

I was very happy to launch the Parliamentary Friends of Motorsports with my friend the Member for Forde.

This industry is a major contributor to the Northern Territory economy and I’m keen to see it grow.

I reject claims from some that this isn’t a “real” sport – anyone who’s ever been to a competition knows the skill and hard work that goes into it, not just by the drivers and riders but also their support teams.

It’s entertaining, it’s thrilling, and it’s a huge employer.

As the Member for Forde outlined, the total gross annual output of Australian motorsports is valued at $8.6 billion.

That is huge.

Almost 200,000 Australians participate in motorsports across the board each year, and more than 65,000 work to make competitions a reality, both in direct jobs and unpaid volunteer positions.

And people do that because they love it.

It’s a sport that inspires a tremendous amount of passion and enthusiasm.

The other thing worth noting is that motorsports, as the various competitions travel around the country, inject money and excitement into so many small towns, keeping them afloat as visiting teams and fans spend on accommodation, retail, food and drink.

The knock-on effect flows through and so many other industries and residents benefit.

In the Northern Territory, from Hidden Valley in Darwin to Finke in the red centre’s desert, Territorians love motorsports.

When a competition is on, the whole place buzzes.

The Member for Forde and I want to keep that going, keep supporting regional Australia and motorsports events, and keep creating jobs and careers for future generations.

I visited the Girls on Track training day in Darwin recently, and saw how much the kids and teens enjoyed learning about all aspects of racing, from being in the driver’s seat to drilling media presenting roles.

And because our interest in the Parliamentary Friends group is national, I also headed out to the Wakefield Park Raceway here near Goulburn.

We’ve been campaigning and working with locals and the NSW Government to see if we can’t get that track reopened and running again, after a long noise dispute with a neighbouring property.

Just this Saturday night I spoke at the NT Motorsports Awards in Alice Springs.