Bendigo would have got a tennis show court big enough to fit at least 5000 people under one plan nixed in the early days of Commonwealth Games 2026 planning.
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It and other courts would have been placed over existing playing surfaces at Nolan Street's Bendigo Regional Tennis Centre, according to previously secret documents written as the government considered hosting the 2026 Games.
Some existing courts would have been given over to a "broadcast compound", a press area, and spectator seating overlooking three other courts.
The details are contained in a newly released bird's-eye view plan which was circulating among senior government leaders in early 2022.
The revelations are part of a fresh trove of papers linked to a now-notorious business case Victoria's government has blamed for cost blowouts for the now-cancelled Games.
Upgrades could have been worth $25 million
Those courts could have seated between 500 and 1000 people, according to documents suggesting the government had been considering a main show court that could fit at least 5000 and as many as 8000 people.
The works could have brought upgrades at the venue of up to $25 million, according to one early estimate.
The show court would likely have been temporary, according to one of the documents circulating among the government's inner circle at the time.
Some of those consultants had suggested permanent changes could have included refurbished changerooms or clubrooms, along with lighting, compliant tennis courts and "all necessary resurfacing".
The same dossier of new documents includes early plans for the Bendigo Lawn Bowls Club, which shows the disused tennis courts next door would have been given over to broadcast crews and other operations.
Organisers at the time expected the existing bowling greens to be enough for competition, with space left over to seat 2000-3000 people.
Key details about the costs for that venue's upgrades have been redacted, but the new documents show the government was considering spending tens of millions of dollars on other Bendigo sports grounds including:
- Between $25-$50 on the Wellsford Rifle Range for full bore rifle shooting, a sport that was relocated to another part of the state
- Between $25-50 million for table tennis upgrades at Geelong Arena, which was later scrapped in favour of the Bendigo Showgrounds
- An unspecified amount for the Queen Elizabeth Oval for cricket, a sport that was later scrapped
The documents were presented to Victorian cabinet ministers in early 2022, before they signed off on the Games and all costs came with "heavy" caveats from consultants, including that "capital works have not been fully scoped, nor have key aspects such as building condition been ascertained".
Consultants were making estimates in lots of $25 million through the desktop exercise and it had been too early to look extensively at venues or consult with their managers.
All plans to host tennis and para tennis at the 2026 Games were scrapped by October 2022 when the government locked in sports for Bendigo.
It had settled on a sports list including lawn bowls and its para equivalent, track cycling, para track cycling, lawn bowls, para lawn bowls, table tennis, para table tennis, netball, squash, 3X3 basketball and 3x3 wheelchair basketball.
The government axed the games in July 2023, blaming cost blowouts on athletes' villages and Games operations.
It has since said it did not agree to host the games "at any price" and did not want to divert money from other areas of government including services to the public.
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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.
