In a shocking turn of events this morning, Premier Daniel Andrews just announced an hour ago that the plug had been pulled on the highly anticipated 2026 Commonwealth Games scheduled to be held in Victoria.
This begs the question, is a combined Redland City, City of Gold Coast and Brisbane City in the perfect position to take it on?
The cancellation supposedly comes from severe funding issues that have plagued the organising committee, or so they say.
Suppose the funding excuse is valid, given that Australia is known as a fun, safe and reliable location for global sporting events. In that case, this damages the Victorian Government’s credibility and the global perception of our great nation’s ability to successfully host and manage world-class events.
On the eve of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and an epic Olympics 2032 on the horizon, this should be considered inferior form and short-sighted.
Premier Andrews revealed that the government had no choice but to scrap the Games due to a significant cost blowout. The original estimated budget of $2.6 billion skyrocketed to an astonishing $7 billion, making it financially unfeasible to proceed. Andrews emphasised that such an excessive expense for a sporting event didn’t appear to represent value for money.
Addressing the media, Premier Andrews stated, “I’ve had to make numerous difficult decisions in my role, but this is not one of them. Spending $6 or $7 billion on a sporting event is not justifiable. It would be all cost and no benefit.”
While it is commonly known that Premier Andrews is the last person you’d ask for guidance on cost versus benefits (refer to his somewhat arrogant and Communist sympathising trip to China recently), it gives food to the thought that perhaps some of Mr Andrews ‘anti-Commonwealth’ beliefs are getting in the way of the great City of Melbourne again hosting a great event.
The Victorian Region and Middle-Class to Miss Out
Victoria was awarded the hosting rights for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in April 2022, and at that time, Premier Andrews had hailed the event as the “Regional Victoria Games.” The plan included establishing hubs in Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, and Gippsland, each equipped with an athlete’s village. Additionally, Shepparton was slated to host events, with the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) set to host the opening ceremony.
The potential economic impact of the Games is substantial. Thousands of jobs were expected to be created, with 600 positions set to be filled before the start date, 3,900 during the Games, and another 3,000 in the aftermath of the closing ceremony. The cancellation will undoubtedly be a significant setback for the region’s economy and aspirations of revitalisation.
The decision to abandon the Commonwealth Games follows a heated public dispute between Premier Andrews and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The Victorian event failed to secure federal funding, as promised in May’s budget, leading to a war of words between the two political figures.
Cancelling the 2026 Commonwealth Games is a disappointing blow to sports enthusiasts and athletes worldwide, along with the good people and small and medium businesses of regional Victoria who eagerly anticipated the event. The organisers and government must now reassess their priorities and explore alternative strategies to ensure the region’s sporting aspirations are not entirely dashed. This begs the question, should a combined Redland City, City of Gold Coast and Brisbane City step up?
Redland City, City of Gold Coast and Brisbane City to take on the 2026 Commonwealth Games?
Having recently hosted the 2018 Commonwealth Games just down the road on the Gold Coast (but also across Southeast Queensland generally), and with works already underway for an epic Olympics 2032 on the horizon, it’s not hard to see how Queenslanders are a more capable and willing people and location to take the Games on and out of the hands of a government that isn’t up to the task (though we probably get a new Redlands Mayor to do it..)
Bring on Redland City, Gold Coast and Brisbane Commonwealth Games 2026, we say!
