BUILDERS will need to finish Bendigo's athletes' village roughly six months before the opening ceremony, the state government says as it tries to avoid the blowouts that marred previous Commonwealth Games.
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The government could release tenders for all four 2026 Games villages slated for Bendigo, Ballarat, Geelong and Morwell as early as noon on Monday, though that date could be subject to change.
It has so far been tight-lipped about exact details, though it has suggested more than one contractor could be appointed at each location to meet its September 2025 deadline.
The government has not answered questions posed by the Advertiser this week about what would happen if contractors missed the September 2025 deadline.
Host cities have not always found delivering athletes' villages easy.
Doubts about Delhi's village and a collapsed bridge threatened to derail 2010's games days and weeks before the games began.
First-world cities have sometimes struggled too.
Birmingham's council abandoned plans to house athletes in custom-built accommodation two years before the 2022 opening ceremony.
It blamed COVID-19 uncertainties across the construction industry and the fact it had fast-tracked its events by four years after South Africa's Durban was stripped of the right to host 2022's games.
"These are challenging times for all of us and delivering a major multi sports event during this period has meant we have needed to collaborate effectively, be pragmatic to change, and remain realistic about the challenges we face," Birmingham's organising committee boss Ian Reid said at the time.
Athletes ended used existing buildings at university campuses and a hotel during those games.
Development Victoria is spearheading planning for Bendigo's athlete's village and is facing even tighter deadlines than Birmingham's games organisers had.
The state confirmed it would take on the 2026 Games about a year ago and has been locked in intensive behind-the-scenes planning with councils and sporting groups ever since.
Development Victoria has previously said it planned to house more than 1600 athletes and team officials on La Trobe University's idle Osborne Street campus.
"The Expression of Interest process will bring us one step closer to having builders on board to deliver the villages across regional Victoria," A Development Victoria spokesperson said on Friday.
"We'll work closely with the Bendigo community and the construction sector over the next three years, investing significantly in community infrastructure, including housing and world-class sports facilities."
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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.
