THE SQUIZ

The Commonwealth Games may have been hosted by the Gold Coast just 3.5 years ago, but they are set to return to Oz in 2026 with the Victorian Government confirming it’s in exclusive talks to bring the event to the state’s regional centres. The deal isn’t done yet, but it’s almost certain that it will be Victoria’s event (leaving Tassie out in the cold…). But Australia’s hosting track record is a strong one… We are the Comm Games champs having hosted them the most times (2026 would be the 6th time), and we’ve won more gold medals than any other nation.

HOW’S THAT GOING TO WORK?

Eleven cities in regional Victoria have been earmarked to host events. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo are “self-starters” because they already have the facilities required to host events. But if we’re to see netball in Nagambie, table tennis in Traralgon and weightlifting in Wodonga – or whatever combination of sports-to-cities – funding will be needed to build the facilities. “That infrastructure is then there as a lasting legacy,” Andrews says. Hosting the Games is no small undertaking… At this year’s Games in the UK’s Birmingham in July-August, 4,500 athletes from 72 countries are scheduled to compete across 26 sports. That’s a lot of, well, everything that will be needed for those cities to be good hosts.

SOUNDS EXPENSIVE…

It is. As a benchmark, the Gold Coast Games in 2018 cost state and local governments $1.5 billion to build and run. But supporters say that investment paid off because the Games boosted the Queensland economy by $2.4 billion. The venues that were built and upgraded had plenty of use after the games and participation in sport also increased, a report following the Games found. That’s why Andrews says he is confident that sort of return can happen in Victoria, even if the event is spread across the state. On this issue, Labor and the Coalition are aligned. State Coalition leader Matthew Guy yesterday tweeted that he was offering “100 per cent support for Comm Games bid.”