The Victorian Opposition is pushing for Shepparton to play a much bigger role in the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Greater Shepparton City Council was the instigator of a regional bid for the games, which was confirmed by the Andrews Government in April but with Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Gippsland confirmed as hubs, complete with athletes’ villages and events.
While Shepparton is set to host events, the community expected the city to play a much bigger role.
Tourism, Sport and Major Events Minister Martin Pakula was questioned on Shepparton’s notable absence as a hub at a Public Accounts and Estimates Committee hearing and would not confirm which events would be held in the Shepparton.
Shadow Minister for Sport Cindy McLeish said Shepparton’s capacity to host world-class events was proven as host of the 2020 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup, World Tour Beach Volleyball tournaments, international standard triathlons and Bowls Victoria’s Victorian Open event.
‘’Sports should be locked in and the appropriate level of funding provided,’’ she said.
“This is an exciting opportunity for the Andrews Labor Government to invest in regional sporting infrastructure in Shepparton, and build on the fantastic existing sporting facilities.
“Empty words from the minister are not good enough. We want to see action, funding and support provided, especially given this whole concept began in Shepparton with the taskforce who volunteered their time to secure the event.”
A pre-feasibility study funded by regional councils and the state government identified Shepparton as an ideal location to host competition including cycling, lawn bowls, triathlon and squash.
The Opposition said the 2026 Commonwealth Games provided an ideal opportunity to help regional Victoria recover and rebuild by upgrading existing regional sporting facilities, such as the Shepparton Sports Stadium.
State Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell said the government was missing an opportunity to showcase the state-of-the-art regional sporting facilities.
“Shepparton has proven that it is more than capable of hosting world-class sporting events,” Ms Lovell said.
“It is time for the Andrews Labor Government to ensure Shepparton plays a big part of the games.”