Commonwealth Games 2026: Victoria Government Exaggerated Costs, Auditor General Says

An inquiry into the Australian state of Victoria's decision to cancel its planned hosting of the 2026 Commonwealth Games said it cost the state 589 million Australian dollars ($385 million) and the price estimate that resulted in it being shelved was 바카라�overstated and not transparent.바카라� (More Sports News)

Victoria's Auditor-General's Office on Wednesday said agencies failed to work together to give 바카라�frank, full and timely advice바카라� to the government before it decided to host the games.

바카라�The total cost of the games to Victorians is over $589 million,바카라� the office said in a report. 바카라�This waste would have been avoided."

In 2022 the Labor government led by then-Premier Daniel Andrews agreed to host the 2026 Games in regional cities in Victoria at an expected cost of about A$2.6 billion ($1.7 billion). But it pulled out in July 2023 after saying the figure had blown out to A$6.9 billion ($4.5 billion), and instead had to compensate the Commonwealth Games Federation for breaking the contract.

Craig Phillips, CEO of Commonwealth Games Australia, was even more critical in a statement following the release of the inquiry findings.

The report 바카라�confirms the gross exaggeration of costs detailed by the then premier when he made the decision to cancel the 2026 Commonwealth Games,바카라� Phillips said.

바카라�While the initial budget was unrealistically low, the updated figure was overblown by ignoring and effectively double-counting a $1 billion contingency fund for industrial action and cost blowouts.바카라�

Despite media reports that other countries 바카라� or even other states in Australia 바카라� were interested in picking up hosting of the 2026 event 바카라� the multi-sports games which include countries of the former British Commonwealth and held every four years remain in limbo.