The announcement that Victoria would host the 2026 Commonwealth Games was positive news as we emerged from the pandemic, and an opportunity for Gippsland and Latrobe Valley to share in the legacy benefits with new infrastructure.
We now know it was a cruel hoax and both Daniel Andrews and Jacinta Allan lied to get elected.
What should have been a once-in-a-generation opportunity for regional communities quickly became a Commonwealth Games debacle.
Victorians were misled from day one, and taxpayers were left with a $589 million bill for a Commonwealth Games that will be hosted in Scotland instead.
When the Andrews Government scrapped the event in 2023, it blamed massive cost blowouts after initially budgeting $2.6 billion, before claiming the Games would cost at least $6 billion. A figure that was never substantiated.
Instead of hosting the event, Daniel Andrews promised a $2 billion regional spending package, including sporting upgrades and a $1 billion Regional Housing Fund to deliver 1,300 homes.
But regional Victorians are still waiting.
Of the 17 sporting upgrades promised across regional Victoria, only three have been delivered, and many housing projects remain delayed.
Communities have been left with unfinished projects, broken promises and unanswered questions.
As the 2026 Commonwealth Games get underway, the excitement and pride that should come with an elite international sporting event have been overshadowed in Victoria by anger and frustration.
This was meant to showcase regional Victoria, attract visitors, support local jobs and leave behind better sporting facilities, housing and community infrastructure.
Instead, Victorians have been left with a massive bill, a damaged international reputation and a long list of promises still waiting to be fulfilled by an incompetent Labor Government.
DARREN CHESTER MP
