Ms ADDISON (Wendouree) (14:47): My question is for the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events. Will the minister please advise how hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games will benefit Ballarat and regional Victoria?

The 2026 Commonwealth Games will showcase regional Victoria’s key cities of Ballarat, Geelong and Bendigo as well as other locations across the state. Thanks to decades of investment by state Labor governments as well as the announcement by the Treasurer of $2.6 billion in the budget, I am confident that regional Victoria will deliver an outstanding Commonwealth Games in 2026.

In Ballarat alone there has already been more than $38 million invested in the Ballarat major events precinct and more than $30 million for the Ballarat Sports and Events Centre. Hosting the games will further expand the capacity of regional Victoria to host major events, tourism, arts, culture and sport into the future as well as deliver important legacy outcomes for the community, including social housing upgrades and infrastructure.

I look forward to hearing from the minister.

Click here to read more of my contributions in Parliament. To access further Hansard transcripts, head to the Parliament of Victoria website.