Australia: It's next Commonwealth Games Hosting.

[Alexjc]

 Easily the most Successful Commonwealth Games so far, Gold Coast has paved the way for the new era of hosting.

Clearly the regional cities and districts are a great catalyst for the continuation of the Games.

So where now for Australia?

There are so many regional and secondary cities that can now feel confident in studying a hosting option. 

Gold Coast proved that it can be a tool for growth with no need to interrupt what are now jammed up and bloated mega cities. Gold Coast now have excellent venues that will continue to develop as this region grows into an even bigger city that can join forces with Brisbane and Sunshine Coast to the north as a potential Olympic host in 2032.

Australia has options...who's next? 

(Footnote: This page was set up after the last event and before the Closing Ceremony...)

Edited April 16, 2018 by Alexjc

[mattygs]

I agree , however I can't help but think that Adelaide is just craving its time in the sun for South Australia.  

[Brekkie Boy]

Yes, I think Adelaide is the only major Australian city not to host.

Alternating between the UK and Australia isn't going to be sustainable in the long term for the games which should still have a future if only they can get people to host it.  I think clearly with the Gold Coast and Birmingham to follow (and to an extent Glasgow too) there has to be a focus on not building loads of new venues for the Commonwealths and hosting in cities and areas which can adapt relatively easily to host the games, and that perhaps is the real Gold Coast legacy.   I would hope if anything the Gold Coast inspires New Zealand to put a bid in - timing hasn't been quite right in the past with the focus on the Rugby World Cup then the Christchurch Earthquake but 2026 would be perfect for them.    As good a job as Australia do it would be nice it it was more at least another 16 years until they hosted again.

[Alexjc]

Adelaide sticks out as the next host. The problem with the games are that nations want to attend but are reluctant to host... (pointing at NZ and Singapore). Australia does make a great host simply because they know how to handle large multi events well. It would be nice if Aussie can skip a cycle but really there is every chance we will be back in 2026 or even 2030. Especially if a future Brisbane 32 Olympics bid fails...and NZ still throws a hospital pass. 

[TorchbearerSydney]

I just moved to Adelaide- so I really want it to host. Had it got its act together, it would have had 2018. It is its turn as Australais 5th city (GC is 6th).

Adelaide has now got its fantastic new stadium in the city, a new Aquatic Centre (it will host the Olympic trials in 2020) and a pretty good second one, an indoor velodrome...plenty of indoor venues, so facilities are not a problem. The weather has been very good the last couple of weeks (but will soon get cold).

The major problem would be accommodation-then again the Gold Coast had a huge excess apparently when the locals cleared out.

The state budget is in surplus too (as opposed to the mining states).

[yoshi]

Is Adelaide Oval wide enough for a track? Only it looks a bit odd as a cricket field. I know Perth has its new stadium that's circular & screams out for a Commonwealth track - although I agree it should be Adelaide's turn. Although it would be better forthe Games for alternation to break this cycle - it'll be 16 years minimum between 'other' countries by 2026. 

[TorchbearerSydney]

I think Adelaide Oval will be wide enough as it is a cricket/ AFL pitch. It has an open end, so the track can be pushed out that way.

It is the most sublime stadium- all lightweight and open, surrounded by parklands and in the centre of the city. Capacity about 55,000..

[Alexjc]

3 hours ago, yoshi said:

Is Adelaide Oval wide enough for a track? Only it looks a bit odd as a cricket field. I know Perth has its new stadium that's circular & screams out for a Commonwealth track - although I agree it should be Adelaide's turn. Although it would be better forthe Games for alternation to break this cycle - it'll be 16 years minimum between 'other' countries by 2026. 

It can take up to ten years to go from and idea to reality. Track back to "Jim Jones'" GC 2018 Bid thread which began back in 2009 to get an idea of what the logistics involves. I doubt if there will be a bid from Australia for 2026 simply because no city has truly got serious, not even Adelaide. Perth has shown interest but not until 2030 which could have a log jam bid war due to it's significance. 

Oh and here's the first credible hint from New Zealand.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/102994169/what-would-a-new-zealand-hosted-commonwealth-games-look-like-in-2026-or-beyond

Edited April 16, 2018 by Alexjc

[iceyone444]

Not for another 3-4 games - we have hosted 2 in 12 years - that is enough.

[Alexjc]

On 2/21/2019 at 3:41 PM, iceyone444 said:

Not for another 3-4 games - we have hosted 2 in 12 years - that is enough.

Hey Newbie...Says who?...

 

 

[Victorian]

If the Games need to be in Australia again, I would like to see a new city (or cities/regions) that have not hosted the games for some time.

 

This would be the order or preference

1. Adelaide

2. Perth

3. Tasmania

4. Darwin

5. Canberra

6. Sydney

7. Regional Vic/NSW

8. North Queensland

[Alexjc]

Well I suppose with Melbourne/Victoria Region hosting the no body wants them 2026 Games...

Clearly Adelaide, Perth or a 'regional NSW outer Sydney could be hosting 2034?

Edited April 27, 2022 by Alexjc

[yoshi]

Should've been Adelaide 2026, it's clearly their turn. I'd hope (no offence) that 2026 will be the last we see of the UK* or Australia for a good while. I take it 2030 is Hamilton on lock, Canada have dipped out on enough certain wins for them. After that maybe a New Zealand bid will actually get somewhere, an African bid will finally be helped instead of dumped, Singapore will finally remember they're in the Commonwealth, a Caribbean hosting would be good too (Jamaica? Barbados?). We can only hope something works out. 

*I'd make an exception for Cardiff or Belfast, as they'd be something different. But Scotland and England have had their turns. 

[RooBlu]

16 hours ago, yoshi said:

Should've been Adelaide 2026, it's clearly their turn. I'd hope (no offence) that 2026 will be the last we see of the UK* or Australia for a good while. I take it 2030 is Hamilton on lock, Canada have dipped out on enough certain wins for them. After that maybe a New Zealand bid will actually get somewhere, an African bid will finally be helped instead of dumped, Singapore will finally remember they're in the Commonwealth, a Caribbean hosting would be good too (Jamaica? Barbados?). We can only hope something works out. 

*I'd make an exception for Cardiff or Belfast, as they'd be something different. But Scotland and England have had their turns. 

I would certainly like to see the future games going to in no order of preference: An African nation (South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya); perhaps the north or south islands of NZ; Singapore; or even the West Indies.

There is much more potential now that bidders are not bound to single host cities and that the Games now have greater flexibility with sports (Athletics and Swimming being the only compulsory events), and that there is now greater flexibility with the size of venues. Hopefully we won't ever see another New Delhi type situation where the budget literally blew up into the tens of billions of dollars. Venues can be placed in towns and cities across regions where they will benefit those towns and cities and not leave the legacy of white elephants as the Olympics often do.

[RooBlu]

On 3/26/2021 at 2:27 PM, Victorian said:

If the Games need to be in Australia again, I would like to see a new city (or cities/regions) that have not hosted the games for some time.

 

This would be the order or preference

1. Adelaide

2. Perth

3. Tasmania

4. Darwin

5. Canberra

6. Sydney

7. Regional Vic/NSW

8. North Queensland

After 2026, the Games really don't need to be in Australia for quite some time. Now with the new Games blueprint, many other nations should be less apprehensive about costs and now having the flexibility to not have to place venues all in one location should make them more attractive to nations that have perhaps never contemplated hosting the event. There are 71 nations and territories in the Commonwealth of which at least 16 are substantially economically developed and wealthy enough to independently host the Games.

[TorchbearerSydney]

Living in Adelaide, I am furious we knocked them back- we have a great main stadium, aquatic complex (used for the national / Olympic trials), national cycling centre, huge indoor arena etc.....there was nothing to be built.

It all got caught up in a political campaign leading up to an election, with the parties fighting to 'save' money and spend it on urgent health priorities etc.....just plain dumb. 

[Alexjc]

6 hours ago, RooBlu said:

I would certainly like to see the future games going to in no order of preference: An African nation (South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya); perhaps the north or south islands of NZ; Singapore; or even the West Indies.

There is much more potential now that bidders are not bound to single host cities and that the Games now have greater flexibility with sports (Athletics and Swimming being the only compulsory events), and that there is now greater flexibility with the size of venues. Hopefully we won't ever see another New Delhi type situation where the budget literally blew up into the tens of billions of dollars. Venues can be placed in towns and cities across regions where they will benefit those towns and cities and not leave the legacy of white elephants as the Olympics often do.

Another aspect is that the Commonwealth is most likely to shrink after QEII passes on. Charles is not really popular and William is still at least 20 years away. 

As has been noted, the West Indies will all be republics soon and African nations were only ever in the Commonwealth because of the Queen and the prestige she brings.

[yoshi]

You can be a republic and still in the Commonwealth - India says hi . Whether the Games will survive I don't know, she's been such a part of them. There's never even been a King's Baton for example. Hopefully they do survive though, they're a distinctive event that gives the chance for cities like Birmingham to host, and for the home nations and many others to shine in ways they can't at the Olympics. And the cliche of them being a friendlier, less packed event than the Olympics does seem true, at least through a TV screen. 

[RooBlu]

11 minutes ago, Alexjc said:

Another aspect is that the Commonwealth is most likely to shrink after QEII passes on. Charles is not really popular and William is still at least 20 years away. 

As has been noted, the West Indies will all be republics soon and African nations were only ever in the Commonwealth because of the Queen and the prestige she brings.

Being in the Commonwealth isn't a beauty pageant. Nations don't become republic because of a King or Queen. After all many became republics when the Queen was very young and at the height of her popularity. There are only 13 countries and territories that have remained Constitutional Monarchies and incidently they are mostly the wealthiest countries per-capita with one or two republic exceptions (Singapore and Malaysia). The African countries do pretty well in the CHOGM gatherings and often dominate the agenda by forming blocks with Asian member countries to push back against the wealthier members (the UK nations, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore). In this respect it's not unlike the UN. By doing this they ensure that their voices are heard and they gain many concessions. 

Nations become more empowered by being members of large blocks and the more blocks they are part of the greater their clout. These blocks can be military alliances of which Australia is a member of at least five that I know of, or they can be economic like ASEAN or the EU. They may be socio-political like The UN or the Commonwealth which is itself closely linked to many aid programs, economic development, exchanges, educational, political and diplomatic dialogue and of course sports programs.

There is so much more dimension to the Commonwealth than simply who occupies the Throne of England and on that basis I can't see an exodus when the Queen inevitably is gone. Australia may one day become republic but I doubt that the motivator toward that would be a King Charles. Australians aren't that fickle and would be well aware that William and Kate would be in the offing some 20-odd years later if popularity was really a factor. But Charles has aways been very well received in Australia and has always been a strong champion of Australia since his youth. His last visit with Camila saw her embraced by the Australian public and she proved herself to be extremely charming and intelligent. She did a great job at winning over a still sceptical Australian public.

It's mostly young people who would say that Charles isn't popular. But that's just how youth see the world. When I was younger the Queen was far less popular and we used to ask why or when she'd consider abdicating to give the far more popular Charles and Diana a go at freshening the tired and staid monarchy. Ahh how times change but people don't. The young of today will inevitaby get older and their attitudes will shift conservatively too as they are jaded, battered and forced to confront the realities and practicalities of life. As I said, times may change but people definitely don't. 

[RooBlu]

4 hours ago, TorchbearerSydney said:

Living in Adelaide, I am furious we knocked them back- we have a great main stadium, aquatic complex (used for the national / Olympic trials), national cycling centre, huge indoor arena etc.....there was nothing to be built.

It all got caught up in a political campaign leading up to an election, with the parties fighting to 'save' money and spend it on urgent health priorities etc.....just plain dumb. 

Yes the SA election campaign was heavily focussed on spending priorities toward health care. This was of course amplified by the pandemic and fears of hospital ramping in emergency departments as the State and indeed the Eastern states were rapidly hitting key vaccination targets and the inevitable lifting of travel and quarantine restrictions. While the previous SA government abandoned the 2026 bid, the new government also killed the building of a $600 million sports and entertainment centre that would have generated millions in revenue over its lifeime in order to redirect that money toward health. It'd be interesting to see exactly how much of that money actually makes its way back into the state's health system.

[ulu]

10 hours ago, yoshi said:

You can be a republic and still in the Commonwealth - India says hi . Whether the Games will survive I don't know, she's been such a part of them. There's never even been a King's Baton for example. Hopefully they do survive though, they're a distinctive event that gives the chance for cities like Birmingham to host, and for the home nations and many others to shine in ways they can't at the Olympics. And the cliche of them being a friendlier, less packed event than the Olympics does seem true, at least through a TV screen. 

I don't associate the Comm Games with the royals at all.