Victoria 2026 - Commonwealth Games

[Victorian]

 

 

[Gonzo]

What an embarrassing shambles. Athlete village made up of pop-up garages and shipping containers

https://twitter.com/theheraldsun/status/1626333106927181824

[TorchbearerSydney]

A large number of the athletes at Sydney 2000 were housed in garages, attached to houses- each garage slept 4 I think......

 

And that was 'the best games ever'......hardly a shambles!

 

 

[AustralianFan]

2 hours ago, Gonzo said:

What an embarrassing shambles. Athlete village made up of pop-up garages and shipping containers

https://twitter.com/theheraldsun/status/1626333106927181824

…. you actually believe Murdoch’s media do you          ?

[AustralianFan]

“Victoria-based geotechnical engineering specialists AS James are currently conducting geotechnical and environmental testing on the site to understand the condition of the soil and help with planning.”

”The results of the testing will be used to determine the most appropriate methods for laying the new track and installing the additional grandstand seating.”

 

[Victorian]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Victorian]

 

 

 

 

 

[yoshi]

When's this getting a logo? I'd laugh if Brisbane 2032 gets theirs first 

[Victorian]

5 hours ago, yoshi said:

When's this getting a logo? I'd laugh if Brisbane 2032 gets theirs first 

3 years to go is coming up in a couple of weeks. This could be the chance to launch it? 

[Victorian]

Melbourne is set to host the Swimming Australia Dolphins World Swimming Championships trials

https://www.swimming.org.au/articles/melbourne-to-welcome-blockbuster-world-trials

[AustralianFan]

Gippsland Athletes Village in Morewell

Credit:  Geotechnical work on 2026 Commonwealth Games Village in Gippsland completed - ITG - 24/02/2023

“A proportion of housing at each Village site will be set aside for social and affordable housing, and the Victoria Government is already working with local councils and social and affordable housing providers to ensure that the use of the sites after the Games best reflects the needs of the local community, it is claimed.”

“Five sports are scheduled to staged in the Gippsland region, including shooting and Para shooting, women's T20 cricket, badminton, rugby sevens and road cycling.”

 

 

[Victorian]

 

 

[Gonzo]

So just today .....

Geelong can't afford the games

Ballarat Athlete Village site full of asbestos

The failed Train Conductor telling potential spectators not to stay overnight in Regional Victoria but do "day trips" from Melbourne instead due to lack of accomodation

W-H-A-T-A-J-O-K-E

 

[RooBlu]

Commonwealth Games 2026: Ballarat mayor Des Hudson says city balancing budget

By Melanie Wheelan: Ballarat Courier

CITY of Ballarat mayor Des Hudson says it is too early to tell estimate the financial impact of hosting the Commonwealth Games, despite complaints from Geelong that it "can't afford" the honour. Cr Hudson said the city was experiencing increased cost pressures across multiple areas due to rising inflation "like all local government areas across the country. The City of Ballarat is always faced with balancing competing priorities, this is being made more challenging in an inflationary environment," Cr Hudson said.

He said City of Ballarat was still working through its budget for the upcoming financial year. City of Greater Geelong mayor Trent Sullivan and deputy mayor Anthony Aitken, who manages that city's finance portfolio, have both flagged rate rises and increased borrowing to deliver on Geelong's 2026 Commonwealth Games hosting duties.

However, at least four state Labor members of parliament and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews flagged last June a lack of confidence in the City of Greater Geelong to deliver what was needed due to alleged project mismanagement, according to ABC News. Geelong's Kardinia Park is set to host the Games' closing ceremony and competitions in hockey, swimming, diving, beach volleyball, cricket, gymnastics, the triathlon and weightlifting.

The regional Victorian Games are to be co-hosted across Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton and Gippsland. Ballarat will be home to the athletics program, including the marathon, from Eureka Stadium (Commercially known as Mars Stadium). The city will also host boxing at the Ballarat Sports Events Centre (AKA Selkirk Stadium) and mountain biking in Creswick.

The Courier understands most of the infrastructure spending will be borne by the State Government. Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas told ABC News while not expecting a matching contribution from Geelong City Council, the government did expect a substantial contribution from a city set to be a "big beneficiary" of the Games.

Meanwhile, expressions of interest open this month for the roadworks and other civil construction related to the Ballarat athletes' village. This is separate to the tender for the planned housing. Athletes' village construction is set to include bulk earthworks, installation of new drains and sewers, the relocation of existing services such as power, gas and water, construction of new roads, upgrades to existing roads, and general demolition and clearing works.

The Ballarat athlete's village will be built on the former saleyards in Delacombe, and will contain an estimated 301 new houses and town houses, ranging from one to four bedrooms. Work on the village is set to begin this year and must be completed by September 2025.

A massive infrastructure spend is currently in the planning stages, including a new overpass at Ballarat station, and expansion at Eureka Stadium.

[RooBlu]

3 hours ago, Gonzo said:

So just today .....

Geelong can't afford the games

Ballarat Athlete Village site full of asbestos

The failed Train Conductor telling potential spectators not to stay overnight in Regional Victoria but do "day trips" from Melbourne instead due to lack of accomodation

W-H-A-T-A-J-O-K-E

 

Cities and governments will always moan about costs, I think that we all accept that as a given fact of life.  In the current inflationary environment we should expect that there will be significant cost increases for construction, labour and in Victoria a significant shortage of builders with many engaged with Dan's "Big Build" projects in Melbourne. Further, you'd be ignorant to not assume that asbestos is likely to be found in any land that was formerly occupied by buildings built between 1920-1985. Asbestos was used in virtually every building in Australia during that time. The former Ballarat sale yards were used for over 140 years until about five years ago. Most of the bluestone pavers that served over its 140 year lifetime are being lifted and re-used for pathways throughout the village while the remainder are being re-cycled to pave Ballarat's Bridge Street refurbishment. I don't think that anybody is expecting anything too sinister or nasty to surface beneath the old pavers. There are only a handful of buildings left (probably with asbestos in them) and the rest is just either concrete slabs or large swathes of bluestone paving. The handful of buildings left on the site are going to be re-purposed so there will be asbestos removal involved with those. That said, there wouldn't be too much below the saleyards site except old electrical conduits (probably insulated with asbestos), water pipes and old stormwater drainage. 

I think that the accommodation aspect is largely a storm in a teacup. Ballarat and Bendigo both have accommodation for about 4-5000 people and are both building new hotels that will add another 1000 each. Geelong has significant capacity when you also account for accommodation in its surrounding coastal towns on the Bellarine Peninsula and along its surf coast. To be realistic, how many international visitors does a Comm Games really bring in? I think that Jerome Weimar nailed it in stating that most will likely use Melbourne as the hub and travel out to Gippsland one day and Geelong the next. 

My personnel prediction is that public transport will be the biggest challenge for planners in consideration that private cars cannot be parked within 1 km of a stadium. This means that there will be a lot of ferrying of spectators to and from designated parking zones and railway stations. Still absolutely no word as to whether a railway platform is to be built near Mars Stadium. The midland highway adjacent to mars Stadium is designated to be closed which will force a lot of traffic to re-route during the Games.

 

[AustralianFan]

Geotech work begins at Flora Hill Games Village in Bendigo

“The village will be home to around 1,600 athletes and officials when the Games get underway in March 2026.”

“The geotechnical investigations will take place over two weeks starting from 27 February and the local community can expect to see workers conducting investigations both within the site area, and along the adjacent roadways of Osborne Street, Cook Street, and Retreat Road.”

Credit: Geotech Works Kick Off At Bendigo Games Village - Mirage News

[AustralianFan]

13 hours ago, RooBlu said:

Cities and governments will always moan about costs, I think that we all accept that as a given fact of life.  In the current inflationary environment we should expect that there will be significant cost increases for construction, labour and in Victoria a significant shortage of builders with many engaged with Dan's "Big Build" projects in Melbourne. Further, you'd be ignorant to not assume that asbestos is likely to be found in any land that was formerly occupied by buildings built between 1920-1985. Asbestos was used in virtually every building in Australia during that time. The former Ballarat sale yards were used for over 140 years until about five years ago. Most of the bluestone pavers that served over its 140 year lifetime are being lifted and re-used for pathways throughout the village while the remainder are being re-cycled to pave Ballarat's Bridge Street refurbishment. I don't think that anybody is expecting anything too sinister or nasty to surface beneath the old pavers. There are only a handful of buildings left (probably with asbestos in them) and the rest is just either concrete slabs or large swathes of bluestone paving. The handful of buildings left on the site are going to be re-purposed so there will be asbestos removal involved with those. That said, there wouldn't be too much below the saleyards site except old electrical conduits (probably insulated with asbestos), water pipes and old stormwater drainage. 

I think that the accommodation aspect is largely a storm in a teacup. Ballarat and Bendigo both have accommodation for about 4-5000 people and are both building new hotels that will add another 1000 each. Geelong has significant capacity when you also account for accommodation in its surrounding coastal towns on the Bellarine Peninsula and along its surf coast. To be realistic, how many international visitors does a Comm Games really bring in? I think that Jerome Weimar nailed it in stating that most will likely use Melbourne as the hub and travel out to Gippsland one day and Geelong the next. 

My personnel prediction is that public transport will be the biggest challenge for planners in consideration that private cars cannot be parked within 1 km of a stadium. This means that there will be a lot of ferrying of spectators to and from designated parking zones and railway stations.

Still absolutely no word as to whether a railway platform is to be built near Mars Stadium. The midland highway adjacent to mars Stadium is designated to be closed which will force a lot of traffic to re-route during the Games.

 

Excellent post RooBlu.

Yes, they certainly need an events V-line platform at Mars Stadium.

 I found these private concept drawings by Roogal on Skyscrapercity.com of a V-line platform and bus-drop-off area at Mars Stadium in a post by VICSop on 5 Nov-2022.

From VICSop post on Skyscrapercity.com:  “After the Games, this is what the new Ballarat athletics facility might look like. The second drawing above is from Roogal, a lady who has somehow been dead right with her knowledge and insight to Mars Stadium's development since 2016. Her drawing produced a couple of months ago seems to have accurately forecast the announcement two days ago of what Mars Stadium would ultimately evolve to after the Commonwealth Games”.

[Victorian]

 

[Victorian]

If Geelong is stripped of hosting sports maybe they’ll move the Closing Ceremony to Ballarat? 

[AustralianFan]

27 minutes ago, Victorian said:

If Geelong is stripped of hosting sports maybe they’ll move the Closing Ceremony to Ballarat? 

I don’t think there’s a risk of Geelong being stripped of the Games.

There’s no way that Geelong City Council as a whole would allow that to happen and miss such a golden opportunity to boost the economy and infrastructure in the Greater Geelong area from the Games.

As the report says, the Geelong City need to partner with the Victorian State Government in having the costs covered.

[RooBlu]

6 hours ago, Victorian said:

If Geelong is stripped of hosting sports maybe they’ll move the Closing Ceremony to Ballarat? 

Not a snowflake's chance in Hell of that happening. Of course the events as allocated will take place in Geelong. It's still three years out and while the village and the sports facility upgrades and construction will be funded by the State Government, it would be natural for councils to do their bit with regard to funding some of the civil infrastructure works including intersection modifications, footpaths and pedestrian thoroughfares, garbage management, traffic management/modification, venue maintenance and cleaning during the games and so on. I suspect that there are councillors who are out there whinging in order to try to get the State Government to committing to do as much of the financial lifting as possible in order to ensure that the council has to spend the least amount of money possible. Irrespective, there will still be a degree of expense borne by ratepayers in each of the hub and event locations, but those expenses will be offset by the benefits to local businesses from tourism spending and upgraded infrastructure which councils will directly benefit from.

[RooBlu]

On 2/17/2023 at 10:54 AM, Gonzo said:

What an embarrassing shambles. Athlete village made up of pop-up garages and shipping containers

https://twitter.com/theheraldsun/status/1626333106927181824

Exactly the same kind of accommodations used in Melbourne's 2006 Games Village

The athletes will hardly be slumming it. Considering some of the countries where many of the athletes come from ... a woodshed would be an upgrade to many of them. 

6 hours ago, Victorian said:

If Geelong is stripped of hosting sports maybe they’ll move the Closing Ceremony to Ballarat? 

Not a snowflake's chance in Hell of that happening. Of course the events as allocated will take place in Geelong. It's still three years out and while the village and the sports facility upgrades and construction will be funded by the State Government, it would be natural for councils to do their bit with regard to funding some of the civil infrastructure works including intersection modifications, footpaths and pedestrian thoroughfares, garbage management, traffic management/modification, venue maintenance and cleaning during the games and so on. I suspect that there are councillors who are out there whinging in order to try to get the State Government to committing to do as much of the financial lifting as possible in order to ensure that the council has to spend the least amount of money possible. Irrespective, there will still be a degree of expense borne by ratepayers in each of the hub and event locations, but those expenses will be offset by the benefits to local businesses from tourism spending and upgraded infrastructure which councils will directly benefit from.

[RooBlu]

6 hours ago, Victorian said:

 

Well in truth it would be pretty pathetic for some Geelong Councillors to be crying poor, particularly as Geelong has directly benefitted since 2005 from some $300 million in State Government funded upgrades to Kardinia Park and the money that hosting 10 AFL home and away games per season, BBL games and several Western United games directly feeds back into the city each year.

[Victorian]

1 hour ago, RooBlu said:

Well in truth it would be pretty pathetic for some Geelong Councillors to be crying poor, particularly as Geelong has directly benefitted since 2005 from some $300 million in State Government funded upgrades to Kardinia Park and the money that hosting 10 AFL home and away games per season, BBL games and several Western United games directly feeds back into the city each year.

Yeah they arguably have the best regional stadium in Australia.

[RooBlu]

16 hours ago, Victorian said:

Yeah they arguably have the best regional stadium in Australia.

That's a coin toss depending upon your football code loyalties. Townsville's $250 million stadium was voted best regional stadium in 2022 and Geelong's KP took out the honour this year. Both stadiums have very different primary purposes and Geelong's KP is significantly larger at 40,000 capacity. Certainly Townsville's stadium is the best regional NRL stadium by a country mile and for facilities is on parity with its larger Queensland cousin Lang Park.

While $150 million will be spent upgrading Ballarat's Eureka Stadium for the Comm Games, nearly half of that includes money to remove or demolish some existing buildings and infrastructure, the erection of temporary infrastructure, removal of that temporary stuff after Games and for re-configuring the stadium after the Games as an 18,000 capacity cricket and AFL venue. So Eureka Stadium will likely evolve after the Comm Games to be a significantly more modest version of Kardinia Park. The State Government say that it will be "World Class", but I would anticipate something more modest than that. Perhaps it will evolve as the best inland stadium in Australia.