Following the state government’s decision to back out of hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games, $380 million in costs will be borne by Victorian taxpayers.
After deciding not to host the games in July, the Victorian government has achieved an agreement with the relevant authorities.
The Victorian government issued a statement stating that “the parties also agreed that the multi-hub regional model was more expensive to host than the traditional models.”
“To reach an agreement, all parties engaged respectfully and made the necessary concessions.”
Premier Daniel Andrews claimed at the time that the change was necessary because expenses had risen to about $7 billion, but the Commonwealth Games Federation refuted this.
Two retired judges who were hosting the mediation were given the case.
The statement read, “The parties subsequently agreed to bring the issue to mediation and selected former Chief Justice of the WA Supreme Court, the Honourable Wayne Martin AC KC, and former New Zealand Judge, the Honourable Kit Toogood KC, as joint mediators.
The mediators approved the settlement, the details of which will not be disclosed, and this concludes all legal proceedings between the parties.
