The price tags for multiple Bendigo Commonwealth Games venue builds will stay secret despite the public release of plans for other projects that could have been worth tens of millions of dollars.
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The silence continues over early costings for Red Energy Arena and the Bendigo Bowls Club, which the government says are now part of commercial-in-confidence talks over replacement projects.
It is not clear exactly if those costings would be released despite a fresh trove of documents showing consultants gave early estimates for Bendigo projects including:
- Up to $25 million for tennis at the Bendigo Regional Tennis Centre, a sport that ultimately did not become part of the 2026 Games' sports offerings
- Between $25-$50 on the Wellsford Rifle Range for full bore rifle shooting, a sport that was relocated to another part of the state
- Between $25-50 million for table tennis upgrades at Geelong Arena, which was later scrapped in favour of the Bendigo Showgrounds
- A unspecified amount for the Queen Elizabeth Oval for cricket, a sport that did not make the final list of 2026 Games sports
Also not among newly released documents are early plans for athletes' villages like the one earmarked for Osborne Street, Flora Hill.
Talks about what might replace the athletes' village plans are ongoing and there was "every chance" homes would be delivered in Victoria before 2026, premier Daniel Andrews said during a visit to Bendigo last Friday, September 1.
"The exact location and configuration of those homes - and what else might be done in partnership with the private sector - we will provide updates on all of that along the way," he said.
The government earmarked $1 billion to build 1300 or more homes across Victoria when it cancelled the Games.
More news:
What information is in the latest release?
The newly revealed costings for venues like the Bendigo Tennis Centre were calculated as consultants drafted a business case in early 2022.
They were very early costings yet to be fully scoped and became part of the government's deliberations on whether to lock in hosting rights for the 2026 Games.
A year-and-a-half later, the government cancelled the Games, saying its bureaucrats and consultants' best estimates had been wrong.
It cited newer calculations that predicted budget blowouts on athletes' villages and Games operations.
The government pledged to upgrade Bendigo venues that had been expecting permanent building works to be Games ready.
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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.
