Scotland enjoyed a $426 million economic boost by taking the 2026 Commonwealth Games from a debt-riddled Victoria, as experts slam the state’s call to ditch the event as a missed opportunity.
Victorian taxpayers funded three-quarters of the under-budget $303 million scaled-back Glasgow Games through a settlement fee after the state withdrew as host in July 2023
Scottish taxpayers funded only one per cent of site activities and security costs, with no public money needed for sports competitions, Monday’s Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games Impact Evaluation report showed.
Victoria’s cancellation of the July 2026 regional Commonwealth Games cost taxpayers more than $589 million, including $380 million to the Games Federation.
Former premier Daniel Andrews cited projected cost blowouts of up to $6 billion across host cities Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Latrobe, and Shepparton.
“We were pleased to be asked to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games – but not at any price. I think all Victorians would agree that more than $6 billion is just too much,” Mr Andrews said at the time.
A Victorian Auditor-General’s Office report later found that estimate was overstated and did not transparently disclose $1 billion in contingency allowances.
The major price tag was partially attributed to the costs of establishing brand new athletes’ villages, sporting complexes and increased transport to and from the regions.
“The most baffling decision that was made in the whole process was it was consciously decided to host it in the regions,” Deakin University Sport Management senior lecturer Hunter Fujak told AAP.
“If you decide to decentralise a major event and host it in lots of local regional communities, that is always going to be more expensive because these areas don’t have the infrastructure that Melbourne does.”
Commonwealth Games Australia chief Craig Phillips took aim at Victoria while congratulating his Scottish counterparts on their clear plan to re-imagine the Games and lean into existing infrastructure.
“A cost-ineffective Games only happens when the host is ineffective in designing and delivering a solution that capitalises on their strengths, including people and venues,” he said.
The Games created 2400 full time jobs for Scotland and added $223 million gross value to the country’s economy, with international visitors staying an average 10 nights as part of their visit.
The Victoria Chamber of Commerce was previously concerned about the damage cancelling the event could cause to the state’s global reputation as a sporting and major event destination, according to chief executive Sally Curtain.
Dr Fujak agreed the botched bid had tarnished Australia’s sport reputation globally.
“There probably was a path to salvaging Victoria and Australia’s sporting reputation by bringing it back to Melbourne and streamlining the costs,” he said.
“There were people in the Commonwealth Games Federation imploring the government to just scale it back, bring it back to Melbourne, and deliver it as promised.”
More than 2700 athletes from 74 nations and territories competed in Glasgow across 10 sports, which garnered six world records.
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