The G21 Geelong Region Alliance has expressed its support for the business, sporting and broader communities in the aftermath of the state government’s cancellation of the Games.
In a statement this week G21 CEO Giulia Baggio acknowledged the “immense effort already committed” to the event, but said the city’s infrastructure needs, highlighted by the Games, were not going away.
“An enormous amount of time, effort and money has been invested in and around Geelong for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, and this momentum must not be lost,” Ms Baggio said.
“We must refocus our energy on delivering the housing, transport and sporting infrastructure so desperately needed by our rapidly growing communities.”
Ms Baggio welcomed the Victorian government’s promise of a $2 billion regional infrastructure package, despite it being “no substitute for the huge economic and social uplift the Games would have provided”.
“The repurposed investment in sporting facilities, tourism and affordable and social housing must be securely tied to the Geelong region and delivered without delay.
“We want to see these projects listed in the budget forward estimates and construction timelines honoured. In particular, the G21-Geelong region urgently needs a large proportion of the promised $1 billion social and affordable housing fund.
“The lack of housing has caused a chronic shortage of workers, and this is holding back our economic development at a time when Geelong should be booming.”
The G21 statement also lamented the lost opportunity to showcase the Geelong region’s cultural identity and promote the “history and storytelling of the Wadawurrung traditional owners”.
Geelong mayor Trent Sullivan echoed those sentiments, saying the chance to have international visitors “engaging in cultural experiences, engaging with First Nations culture around Geelong” had been lost.
