BENDIGO needs better internet if the 2026 Commonwealth Games' legacy is to be judged a success, the city's council says.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Council staff have released a draft wish list, the first major document on what the council wants, to the public and businesses.
The document - which councillors could endorse as soon as Monday - crystalises a raft of priorities including faster internet.
"We know internet and mobile connectivity across Greater Bendigo is already under pressure and, in some areas, reliability is a challenge," it said.
That would leave a lasting legacy for businesses that have been calling for better connections.
So would skills training for the more than 800 young people still in school and will likely be needed for the Games.
"There must be a focus on identifying skill needs, matching this with available talent and providing additional training to support businesses to provide services and add to the Games experience," council staff said.
Housing affordability could become a Games problem
They have also warned that accommodation providers will need help to deal with extra pressure the games will bring.
That could include rising rents as properties are snapped up, council staff said.
They appeared to concede cost of living pressures could impact Bendigo's most vulnerable during the Games, saying extra help would alleviate problems "as much as possible".
Some vulnerable people will get the chance to move into the athlete's village to be built in Bendigo, though that would likely happen once the Games ended.
Games organisers will need to make sure the public was part of wider preparations, council officers said.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and they are the perfect ambassadors to share their knowledge and showcase the pride they have for their city to ensure the Games are a success," they said.
The council has already been approached by multiple community groups that want to help shape the games and says local clubs and volunteers are ready and willing to help.
More trains, more footpaths and even better venues proposed
It has also revealed more ideas for venues including the Bendigo Showgrounds.
The council officers say the showgrounds needs some work but is already "ideally situated" to play a major role.
It could even have a train station platform nearby, the council says. So could Harcourt, which is vying for sports events of its own during the Games.
The council has not revealed its thinking on a host of sports venues that would at least need temporary upgrades.
That is because it is yet to get clarity from other organisers about all the sports that might be staged in 2026.
The council has already revealed its hopes for a Bendigo Art Gallery renovation which would be the centrepiece of a plan to transform the city into a Games cultural hub.
It is yet to secure all funding it would need to finish that build off in time for the Games.
Now just one tap with our new app. Digital subscribers now have the convenience of faster news, right at your fingertips with the Bendigo Advertiser. See how to download it below:
Tom O'Callaghan
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
