The Andrews Labor Government’s decision to scrap the 2026 Commonwealth Games again glaringly highlights its incompetence.
It is an embarrassing case of financial mismanagement from a Government that is broke.
The Nationals Member for Shepparton District, Kim O’Keeffe, said the community feels disillusioned and disappointed by the cancellation of the Games.
“This Labor Government has been marred by project delays and cost blow-outs, and yet again regional Victoria misses out,” Ms O’Keeffe said.
“Labor has destroyed Victoria’s reputation as a world-class sporting event destination, and this is an embarrassment.
“In the announcement today, Daniel Andrews said they will deliver a comprehensive $2 billion package to ensure regional Victoria still receives all the benefits that would have been facilitated by the Games. What will our region receive out of that $2 billion?
“I doubt our local businesses in regional Victoria would agree to that level of expectation and who had high hopes for the economic opportunity they were depending on.
“This is a huge blow for the opportunity and bright light that hosting the games would have attracted to regional Victoria.
“The Shepparton BMX complex had no detail of any financial commitments to what would be delivered in preparation for the Commonwealth Games.
“We have sporting facilities across the electorate that have been ignored and left to deteriorate to unsatisfactory conditions.
“We called for the Shepparton Sports Stadium to be redevelopment to be funded and considered at the start of the Commonwealth Games proposal.
“I will continue to lobby for that project and other run-down sporting facilities that have been ignored.
“We also want our fair share of the new $1 billion regional housing fund announced by Daniel Andrews today.
“We have a housing crisis, a cost-of-living crisis, and the most dilapidated and unsafe roads we have ever seen. Regional Victoria continues to be let down by this Government, and this is yet another example.”