Victorian government makes biggest venture capital investment yet — in space tourism

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Breakthrough Victoria News

Tim Pallas,World View,Space Exploration

Critics line up as Australia's most in-debt state takes its largest venture capitalist gamble yet, betting on a US satellite imagery and space tourism company.

Critics are questioning the Victorian government's decision to invest $37 million in a US company focused on stratospheric exploration and data.The Victorian government has invested $37 million from its Breakthrough Victoria venture capital fund in a US satellite imagery and space tourism company.

The company’s website lists seven international space travel destinations around the world including the Great Barrier Reef. US conservative think tank Goldwater Institute, successfully sued Pima County for its investment in the company. "The county was forced to rearrange their agreement with World View in order to make it so that they weren't subsidising the company with government funding."

Economist Saul Eslake said the latest Victorian budget has not done enough to rein in Victoria’s soaring debt, which is expected to hit $188 billion by 2028."That's getting close to $10 billion per annum by the end of the four-year forward estimates period. That could otherwise be spent on hospitals, schools, community protection, policing, and other things that Victorians value."

"We are seeing other countries, Singapore is a great example, where they've done it and it's worked out well with them."

 

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