CHANGES to Bendigo Commonwealth Games venues did not blow out the budget, Jacinta Allan said as the fallout begins over the cancelled 2026 event.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
"A lot of the significant costs were on the running of the Games, those temporary cost of things like transport, security, those temporary overlays like the seating and scaffolding," she said in an interview with the Bendigo Advertiser after the bombshell announcement.
The interview with the Member for Bendigo East and Deputy Premier took place within 20 minutes of the Commonwealth Games Federation releasing a strongly worded statement on the cancellation.
It said it was given eight hours notice by the state government.
"The numbers quoted to us today of $6 billion are 50 per cent more than those advised to the Organising Committee board at its meeting in June," the Commonwealth Games Federation said in its statement.
The federation said skyrocketing costs were "primarily due to the unique regional delivery model that Victoria chose for these Games, and in particular relate to village and venue builds and transport infrastructure".
COMM GAMES CANCELLED
The federation has also said the state government had made decisions since announcing the Games including more sports and an additional regional hub at Shepparton, and changed plans for venues, "all of which have added considerable expense, often against the advice of the Commonwealth Games Federation and Commonwealth Games Australia.
"We are disappointed that we were only given eight hours' notice and that no consideration was given to discussing the situation to jointly find solutions prior to this decision being reached by the Government.
"Up until this point, the Government had advised that sufficient funding was available to deliver the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games."
Ms Allan had not seen the statement before the interview and was not comfortable commenting without seeing what had been said.
She said that the latest cost projections showed that the Games would now cost $6 billion or more, well above the $2.6 billion budgeted.It was too much to justify because it would eat into money needed for other things Victorians needed.
OTHER NEWS: New CEO for Bendigo Health announced
"$6 Billion for a 12 day sporting event is too much," Ms Allan said
."It's more than twice the estimated economic benefit so it's become a very straightforward decision of the government."
Digital subscribers now have the convenience of faster news, right at your fingertips with the Bendigo Advertiser app. Click here to download.
Tom O'Callaghan
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
