Commonwealth Games boss Craig Phillips disputes figures in Deloitte report on Adelaide 2026 bid
The head of Australia’s Commonwealth Games says the numbers quoted in a new report don’t stack up – and he wants discussion of an Adelaide bid to continue.
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Australia’s Commonwealth Games boss Craig Phillips said he was staggered by a report suggesting it would cost the SA Government $3.5 billion to bring the event to Adelaide in 2026.
Responding to a Sunday Mail report which cited the results of a feasibility study into SA’s potential bid for the Games, Mr Phillips said the numbers simply didn’t stack up with the 2018 Gold Coast Games that were essentially built from scratch.
Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA) and the UK-based Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) have introduced a new model of Games delivery for 2022 and beyond to reduce the cost of the 12-day international sporting event.
According to the Deloitte report which is due to go before Cabinet this week, the total operating and capital cost of Adelaide hosting the Games would be $3.5 billion.
Mr Phillips said according to the official 2018 Gold Coast post-Games economic report, the net operating cost to the Queensland Government was $950 million and infrastructure and facility spend was $390 million.
“I don’t know what’s in that $3.5 billion number,” Mr Phillips said.
“The numbers are odd. That’s certainly not the cost to the South Australian government and the people of South Australia.
“We obviously haven’t had visibility of the Deloitte report but the Gold Coast costings are a fair way short of that ($3.5b).
“I can’t understand why it would be so high, but we are still in the feasibility phase and hopefully we can keep the discussion going.”
The Deloitte report suggests the cost of hosting the Games would include $1 billion to build a new city stadium by the railyards.
Mr Phillips said it was important to note that the new stadium may be a cost of the Games but would benefit the state for decades to come.
“Clearly South Australia needs some infrastructure but that leaves a legacy,” Mr Phillips said.
“You build them (facilities) so they are there afterwards, they are not just for the Games. The Games are the catalyst for future use.
“I hope to hear from the government soon, tomorrow even particularly if there is any movement in cabinet.”
Prominent South Australian businessman Robert Gerard, who has passionately advocated for the state to host the Commonwealth Games, said he was “a bit disappointed” by the report declaring the $3.5b cost.
“I don’t quite believe it,” Mr Gerard said.
Adelaide remains the only major capital city in Australia yet to host the Games after Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth all successfully hosted the event.
Queensland, which hosted the 2018 Gold Coast Games, now wants to host the Olympic Games in 2032 and last week unveiled plans to build a new world-class 80,000 seat stadium in Brisbane that would feature athletics and the opening and closing ceremonies.
Legacy transport infrastructure, such as a faster rail network linking south-east Queensland and a second M1 Highway between the Gold Coast and Brisbane, will also be built to cater for an Olympics and a population boom across the region.
Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and an Australian delegation met with the IOC last week to discuss a potential Olympic bid.
If the IOC likes what it hears, Queensland will proceed on its final bid, which will go before the IOC just before the Tokyo Olympics in July next year and a final decision would then be likely by 2022.
reece.homfray@news.com.au