UPDATE: The body representing the Australian Commonwealth Games athletes has slammed Dan Andrews and the Victorian Government, calling their claims of a cost blowout of up to $7 billion “beyond disappointing.”

Commonwealth Games Australia CEO Craig Phillips said the estimated costs were a “gross exaggeration, and not reflective of the operational costs presented to the Victorian 2026 Organising Committee board as recently as June this year”.

“Beyond this, the Victorian Government willfully ignored recommendations to move events to purpose-built stadia in Melbourne,” Mr Phillips said.

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Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced the state will pull out of running the 2026 Commonwealth Games, stating a cost blowout of about $5 billion has made the planned event impossible.

Mr Andrews said he had made many difficult decisions as Premier, but this was not one of them.

“Frankly, six to seven billion dollars for a 12-day sporting event, we are not doing that.”

“I will not take money out of schools on hospitals in order to fund something like this.”

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While Millsy is adamant we should bring the Commonwealth Games here to Perth, Mark Readings isn’t so sure.

“I’m just not sure that Commonwealth Games has the lustre,” Mr Readings said.

“Clearly it hasn’t, because the city before the last Commonwealth Games couldn’t handle it either.”

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Image:  Diego Fedele/Matt Roberts/Getty Images