BENDIGO'S council discovered the 2026 Games might be cancelled within hours of the announcement.
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The City of Greater Bendigo had no inkling the state government was preparing to scrap the Games despite more than a year of intensive planning with it and other organisers.
Mayor Andrea Metcalf found out at about the same time media reports were beginning to circulate about the shock cancellation.
Asked whether it was frustrating that a key partner in the games found out the way it did, Cr Metcalf said it was a decision for the state government.
"We were informed just before the announcement was made at the press conference," she said, referring to the one premier Daniel Andrews gave in Melbourne early Tuesday morning.
Just weeks ago, Cr Metcalf and the council's Games director Andrew Cooney were at a packed business conference in Bendigo sharing plans for 2026, including from state government staff.
The government says the cost concerns have only emerged recently, with advice the spend could balloon from $2.6 billion to at least $6 billion.
Mr Cooney on Tuesday said the council would never apologise for its excitement and hope for the Games, when asked whether, in retrospect, tight timelines might always have made it an uphill battle to have everything done.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained. We were there in every conversation we needed to be, we were throwing our energy and our excitement into it, and getting the general community on board," he said.
Venues: what could stay
The Games have been cancelled with less than 1000 days to go. Plans are still forming for a swathe of venues in Bendigo.
The Advertiser understands the Bendigo Showgrounds will still get a venue previously earmarked for table tennis, which will act as an extra exhibition space.
Red Energy Arena - which, it emerged this morning, would likely have held squash as well as netball during the Games - will still get four new courts, while the Bendigo Bowls Club will get refurbished greens and a pavilion, the Advertiser understands.
Only minor changes are expected for the Flora Hill athletes' village, since it will now only need to be long term housing, not temporary accommodation for sports teams.
The cancellation leaves some plans up in the air and one source in the state government expects Spring Street will need to work with the council on finer details.
Money that would have been spent on a temporary velodrome and, potentially, a temporary basketball venue, would still go into regional infrastructure, the Advertiser understands.
Cr Metcalf welcomed news that many Bendigo projects will go ahead. It was not yet clear whether they would be built to Games timetables, she said.
Cr Metcalf said the builds would bring big sports events to Bendigo.
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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.
