‘Angry’: Victorians still paying for cancelled Comm Games

Despite the Victorian government cancelling the Commonwealth Games two years ago, many residents are ‘disappointed and angry’ that they still have to foot the bill.

EXCLUSIVE

The Victorian government’s decision to cancel the Commonwealth Games is “done and dusted” and organisers are doing their utmost to move on, according to Australia’s Chef de Mission.

Speaking ahead of the start of the King’s Baton relay, which marks 500 days until the event in Scotland, Olympic gold medallist Petria Thomas conceded it was understandable many Victorians were angry after the Games was ditched yet they are still paying for it.

Ms Thomas, Australia’s Chef de Mission, who visited the host city Glasgow last week to view venues and facilities ahead of the event, said the cancellation of the Games two years ago was “obviously highly disappointing for everyone involved in the movement, but it’s done, it’s dusted and we’re moving on”.

Olympic gold medallist and Chef de Mission Petria Thomas conceded it was understandable many Victorians were angry after the Games was ditched yet they are still paying for it. Picture: AAP Image/Rohan Thomson

“I think the positive out of all of this is that the Games are going ahead and yes, I know the residents of Victoria would be disappointed and angry at the way it’s all come about,” she told News Corp while in Glasgow last week.

“It was obviously a difficult period for everyone involved … but we’ve got a Games to go to now and that’s what we are looking forward to, that’s what we are excited about.

“It’s a special event and very important for the development of our athletes in Australia, many of which get their start in the Commonwealth Games”.

The Glasgow Games will have only 10 events in 2026 – almost half that of the 2022 Birmingham Games when there were 19 events.

In January the newly-appointed head of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games Phil Batty boasted that Scotland will reap the rewards by bringing in more than £100m ($A198.9m) in investment into the city – largely handed over by Victorian taxpayers.

The Games is expected to cost £114m and it does not require any public funding from Glasgow City Council, the Scottish or UK governments.

Mr Batty said: “Delivering the Games is a team effort, which will bring over £100m of inward investment”.

The Glasgow Games will have only 10 events in 2026 – almost half that of the 2022 Birmingham Games when there were 19 events. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

King Charles will on Monday (Tuesday AEDT) hand the Games’ baton to representatives of host nation Scotland before officially starting a 74-nation-tour spanning 500 days ahead of the Games’ opening ceremony on July 23 next year.

Inside the baton, which will first be carried by Scottish cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy, is a message from His Majesty which will remain sealed until the opening ceremony next year.

The King’s message will be read out at the start of the Games.

The relay starts in the Caribbean on Tuesday where it will begin its journey in Trinidad and Tobago but in an new “eco-friendly” journey each participating country will receive their own baton.

This means there will be no baton handover or pollution emitted by transmitting the baton between nations and territories.

The Games will run from July 23 to August 2 next year.

Originally published as ‘Angry’: Victorians still paying for cancelled Comm Games