Vic paid $176k for Games office that will never be used

afr.com:

The Victorian government spent $176,000 to set up a 2026 Commonwealth Games office in Geelong last year before pulling the pin on the competition because of cost blowouts.

Public tender documents show architectural firm PMDL, which has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Geelong and Hong Kong, was contracted in September last year for “professional engineering services” on Games headquarters in the regional centre south-west of Melbourne.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews axed the Commonwealth Games after saying it had blown out from $2.6 billion to more than $6 billion. Gus McCubbing

The Geelong office at one point housed 50 employees, including former Victorian COVID-19 response commander turned Commonwealth Games chief executive Jeroen Weimar.

As late as February this year, local MP Darren Cheeseman was spruiking the work, saying the office was set to be expanded to accommodate 180 people. “The jobs the Games headquarters provides is jost one of the many ways the 2026 Commonwealth Games are benefitting our local community,” he posted on social media.

PMDL was contacted for comment.

Before the Andrews government abandoned the Games, Geelong was set to host nine sports including hockey, golf, and gymnastics and GMHBA Stadium was to be the venue for the closing ceremony.

Premier Daniel Andrews announced on July 18 that Victoria had cancelled the Games, which the government had pitched as a boon for towns and cities outside Melbourne. He said the $2.6 billion budgeted for the games threatened to blow out to up to $7 billion.

The government is negotiating with Games organisers and other contracted bodies an exit deal that some analysts say could reach $1 billion or more in compensation and money already spent.

The government also