The Victorian government is unlikely to use taxpayer money to fund any Melbourne-based quarantine hub to ensure AFL season restarts.
Martin Pakula, the state’s sports minister, is confident the AFL will be able to set-up hubs without any, or minimal, government assistance.
“There is no obvious need for government funds to play a role in this,” Pakula told Nine’s Footy Classified.
“In term of a hub, you are really talking about the possibility of whether it’s hotels or resorts.
“You are looking at some security measures around grounds that would allow them to be contained in a way that you could be confident that everybody who came and went was COVID free and remained COVID free.
“There is not a huge expenditure in that. The AFL, it would be our expectation, they would be responsible for the vast majority of it.”
The AFL has yet to finalise its plan to resume the season but is weighing up multiple states as potential bases for training, accommodation and matches.
All states and territories remain in contention to host a hub, with Victoria’s world-class sporting facilities making it a favourite.
Western Australia premier Mark McGowan has already ruled out the state using taxpayers funds to lure the AFL to a Perth hub.