Warrnambool is among the regions in Victoria lamenting rather than celebrating today.
March 17, 2026, was to be the opening day of the 2026 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.
It was to be the beginning of two weeks of world-class competition that was to be a huge boost to the Victorian ecomony.
Warrnambool activiely pursued the chance to host events, or other associated infrastructure services around the games.
While nothing had been confirmed, the city was confident it would be included in some form to deliver the major event.
But the state government made the call to not go ahead with hosting the games.
The final figure on what that cost the Victorian government to pull out of the games is estimated at $589 million.
The games will now be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23, with a compensation payment from the Victorian government helping fund the event.
