Commonwealth Games 2026: Australia's Victoria state cancels event amid shortage of funds
Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham, Britain.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games, scheduled to be held in Australia's Victoria state, will be cancelled due to funding challenges, as reported by the Guardian.
On Tuesday morning, Victoria's State Premier, Daniel Andrews, announced that his government had withdrawn its financial support for the Games, citing a threefold increase in the hosting costs.
“What’s become clear is the cost of hosting these Games is not the $2.6 billion which was allocated, it is at least $6 billion or $7 billion,” Andrews told an emergency press conference.
“I will not take money out of hospitals and schools in order to fund an event that is three times the cost as estimated and budgeted for last year,” he said.
Describing the Games as “all cost, no benefit. I’ve made a lot of difficult decisions in this job - this is not one of them,”Andrews added.
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Financial help asked
The Victoria government had requested financial support from the federal government, citing their backing of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics andparalympics.
However, funding was not allocated for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in the federal budget.
They anticipated that the commonwealth would contribute half of the costs, primarily for infrastructure development.
However, in the federal budget released in May, no allocation was made for the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Premier Andrews vowed not to let the commonwealth evade responsibility for funding the event, emphasising the need for their support.
Federal Sports Minister Anika Wells mentioned in an interview on Guardian's Australian Politics podcast that the Albanese government was still discussing the proposal for federal support with the Victorian government.
Wells pointed out the differences between bidding for the Olympics, where detailed bid documents are required years in advance, and the Commonwealth Games bid, which Victoria won in April the previous year with less extensive requirements.
When questioned about the financial implications of cancelling the games, Andrews mentioned ongoing negotiations with the governing body regarding this matter, as reported by the Guardian.
Despite the cancellation, the government remains committed to investing up to $2 billion in constructing sporting facilities and infrastructure as part of its promised legacy to regional communities. Additionally, Andrews announced plans to build 1,300 new "social and affordable" homes across regional Victoria.
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