Victorian Government pulled plug on $15 million deal to host 2025 beach volleyball world titles
Dan Andrews axed a key world sporting event at the end of 2022 but it never became public knowledge until now, begging the question, did he get cold feet on the 2026 Games long ago?
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Premier Dan Andrews’ shock decision to axe the 2026 Commonwealth Games came nine months after the Victorian Government secretly pulled the plug on a major world championships lead-up event in Torquay that left one Australian sport scrambling to salvage its’ international reputation.
Volleyball Australia president Craig Carracher has revealed the Victorian Government cancelled a commitment to host the 2025 beach volleyball world titles last October – claiming they pulled the pin just two weeks after agreeing to a deal worth $15 million.
Coincidentally, a fortnight later, the Victorian Government funded a $15m bailout of Netball Australia via a Visit Victoria sponsorship after a furore with Hancock Prospecting – who are also the major backers of Volleyball Australia.
“I don’t understand how they can put their hand up, take their hand down, put it up and pull it back down,” Carracher said.
But a Victorian Governments spokesperson last night denied contracts were exchanged and that the non-binding expression of interest was actually revoked on September 19 – well before any arrangement with Netball Australia was on the table.
“No contract for this event was signed and no event funding was provided,” a spokesperson said.
Mr Andrews said the reason to cancel the Games was a budget blowout with the event now expected to cost taxpayers $6 billion, not the predicted $2.6 billion.
But revelations the Government backflipped on a key lead up event last year raises serious questions about just how long ago Andrews harboured reservations about the Games and associated events planned for regional Victoria.
The Victorian Government had pledged to support the 2025 Beach Volleyball World Championships – lodging a joint bid with Volleyball Australia in June 2022- just two months after the government won the rights to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Mr Carracher claims the commitment, which included $15 million of financial support from the Victorian Government, was signed in October.
As part of the process the government stipulated that Volleyball Australia had to host the event, which doubles as a qualifier for the Commonwealth Games, in regional Victoria.
Organisers settled on Torquay.
The event had been planned to coincide with the 2026 Commonwealth Games – with the infrastructure used at the November championships to remain in place for the March Games.
This move would reduce costs of the Commonwealth Games with broadcast and security systems able to be tested as part of the championships.
Just two weeks after entering the agreement the government informed Volleyball Australia they were no longer able to support the event.
“We didn’t get a satisfactory explanation, we were just bamboozled,” Carracher said.
“The reason they pulled the plug was never documented to us.”
Olympic legend Natalie Cook said Victoria had damaged Australia’s global reputation with their failure to deliver event promises.
“It is devastating for all sports for Victoria to drop the ball and not offer any solutions. It is completely unAustralian,” Cook said.
“But we have seen it before – they did it to my sport, beach volleyball. They agreed to host the World Championships then decided to redirect the funding after the commitment was made.
“They are clearly untrustworthy and unable to manage their projects.
“ (2018 Commonwealth Games) went around the world but this tarnishes our reputation.
“It is denying the regions an opportunity to be involved … it’s just a punch in the guts and a kick in the teeth for everyone.”
It took Volleyball Australia five months to broker a new deal to host the world championships with South Australia stepping up to save the event.
Carracher said if it hadn’t been strong advocacy from the South Australian government the international sporting body was on the verge of taking the championships away from Australia.
While a solution has been found Carracher said the damage has already been done – and it would have detrimental impacts for decades.
“We are a global sport and these decisions will significantly impact our reputation for decades,” he said.
“People will remember what we have done here, I’ll be addressing for decades why we were meant to be hosting the Championships in Victoria but then suddenly had no home for them.
“It is going to affect the credibility, respect and confidence in Australia’s ability to host international sporting events.”
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Originally published as Victorian Government pulled plug on $15 million deal to host 2025 beach volleyball world titles
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