Planning begins for 2026 Geelong Commonwealth Games athletes village
The state government has opened expressions of interest to the construction sector to build the athletes villages for the regional games in 2026.
Geelong
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The state government has started the planning process to build the athletes villages for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, including in Geelong.
Expressions of interest opened on Wednesday.
Villages will also be built in Ballarat, Bendigo and Morewell and are expected to house more than 7000 athletes and officials.
The Geelong village will be built in Waurn Ponds and then turned into social and affordable housing once the event has finished.
The expressions-of-interest process will target the construction sector and help inform decisions, such as the types of permanent and temporary dwellings that will be built.
Early works at each location are expected to begin later this year with village designs and numbers of dwellings required at each site yet to be finalised.
Minister for Commonwealth Games Legacy Harriet Shing said: “The 2026 Games give us a fantastic opportunity to partner with local businesses and contractors in creating athletes villages that are modern, accessible, and energy efficient.”
The work is expected to create opportunities for regional contractors and support hundreds of jobs during the project.
Minister for Commonwealth Games Delivery Jacinta Allan said the announcement marked a step closer to seeing the regional event come to life.
“Victoria 2026 will invest significantly in community infrastructure, including much needed additional housing in regional communities.”
Geelong is set to host nine sports and three parasports during the 2026 games, including aquatics, weightlifting and gymnastics.
The closing ceremony will be held at Kardinia Park.
The competition is set to contribute more than $3bn to the Victorian economy, support 600 jobs before the Games and 3000 jobs post-competition.
Interested parties can register their interest at buyingfor.vic.gov.au.
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Originally published as Planning begins for 2026 Geelong Commonwealth Games athletes village
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