THE Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) expressed its disappointment over the Victorian state government’s abrupt decision to withdraw as the host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games. The CGF, in a statement, revealed that it received only eight hours’ notice regarding this decision, which was announced by Victoria’s state premier, Daniel Andrews, on Tuesday morning.
According to Andrews, the original budget for the games was initially estimated to be around 2.6 billion dollars (£1.3 billion), but it had significantly escalated to nearly triple that amount. In a media briefing held in Melbourne, he explained, “Last year when the Commonwealth Games authorities approached us and needed someone to step in to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, as a state we were happy to help out, but of course not at any price. It’s just quite obvious, we are not going to spend six to seven billion dollars on a 12-day sporting event. We don’t just make popular decisions, we do what’s right and it would simply be wrong.”
The CGF responded to the announcement, expressing surprise at the development. They released a statement saying, “This is hugely disappointing for the Commonwealth Sport Movement, for athletes around the Commonwealth, and the Organising Committee who are well advanced in their planning and preparation.” The CGF further explained that the given reason for the withdrawal was financial, with the figures quoted amounting to 6 billion dollars, which was 50% more than what was advised to the Organising Committee board in June. The CGF attributed the increased costs primarily to the unique regional delivery model chosen by Victoria for the Games, specifically in relation to village and venue construction and transportation infrastructure.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games were originally planned to be held in various towns across regional Victoria, including Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, Gippsland, and Shepparton. The CGF’s statement continued, stating, “Since awarding Victoria the Games, the Government has made decisions to include more sports and an additional regional hub, and changed plans for venues, all of which have added considerable expense, often against the advice of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA).” The CGF expressed disappointment in the lack of prior consultation and notice, stating, “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.”
Despite this setback, the CGF affirmed its commitment to finding a solution for the Games in 2026 that serves the best interests of the athletes and the wider Commonwealth Sport Movement. Australia has previously hosted the Commonwealth Games five times, including the Gold Coast in 2018 and Melbourne in 2006, making the withdrawal of Victoria as the host a significant disappointment for the sporting event.
