By Max Avon-Smith

The Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has confirmed that the 2026 Commonwealth Games will be cancelled citing cost blowouts.

This announcement from the victorian government comes 14 months after they won the rights to host the games in regional victoria. The Premier made the announcement during a press conference this morning saying “I will not take money out of hospitals and schools in order to fund an event that is three times the cost is estimated and budgeted for last year.”

The initial cost of running the games was estimated at $2.6 billion dollars but now the actual cost of the games are between $6-$7 billion dollars. Mr Andrews said “Frankly, $6b (or) $7b for a sporting event, we are not doing that. That does not represent value for money, that is all cost and no benefit”

The Premier did confirm that there will be a $2 billion spending package for regional victoria to make up for the loss of the games that will help boost sporting facilities in the cities that were going to host the games and in the $2 billion package there will be $1 billion set aside to build 1,300 new homes as apart of the Regional Housing Fund.

Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto posted on twitter saying “The Andrews Government’s decision to scrap the 2026 Commonwealth Games is a massive humiliation for Victoria”

he went on to say that “This decision is a betrayal of regional Victoria and confirms that Victoria is broke and Labor simply cannot manage major projects without huge cost blowouts”

Now the commonwealth games authority goes back to the drawing board to see who will host the games in 2026 but South Australia and Tasmania has comes and said they will not not put a bid into the commonwealth games authority to host the games.