Victoria’s scrapped 2026 Commonwealth Games cost $589m in ‘significant waste of taxpayer money’, auditor-general says

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Report criticises government agencies for not working together and says the estimated $6.9bn cost of the event was ‘overstated’

Victoria’s auditor-general said the cost of cancelling the 2026 Commonwealth Games was considerable given Victoria’s rising debt levels.Victoria’s auditor-general said the cost of cancelling the 2026 Commonwealth Games was considerable given Victoria’s rising debt levels.The scrapped 2026 Commonwealth Games have cost Victoria more than $589m, the state’s auditor-general says, in a report that calls the project a “waste of taxpayer money” with “no discernible benefit”.

The report was also critical of the business case for the event, prepared by the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions , saying it was inadequate to support an informed decision on the costs and benefits of hosting.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundupBut the auditor-general’s report found that “the cost estimate for the Games that the government publicly released in August 2023 of $6.

It concluded DPC and DTF had raised costs and other risks during 2022 and early 2023 but did not advise the government that hosting the major sporting event might be unfeasible until June 2023.

 

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