Michelle Slater
A new Commonwealth Games village will be built in Morwell to host 1000 athletes and officials for the regional events to be held in the Latrobe Valley in 2026.
The Valley will also be hosting a further three sports with shooting, road cycling and T20 cricket added to the region on top of Badminton and the Rugby Sevens.
Minister for Commonwealth Games Legacy Shaun Leane was at the Ted Summerton Reserve in Moe this morning making the announcement.
Mr Leane said the new Games village will be built in English Street, Morwell, on vacant lot owned by the Department of Health.
He said the village would then be used to provide social and affordable housing, aged accommodation or worker housing for more than 20 years after the Games.
Mr Leane said they were still working in the final design of the village, but it would include multi-use areas such as dining rooms and physio centres that would benefit the community in the aftermath.
“I’m determined to squeeze out every bit of social impact we can in delivering these Games, and also support local businesses and local jobs,” Mr Leane said.
“Construction alone with the opportunities for apprentices in the Latrobe Valley, work on these Games infrastructure is a priority for us.
“These will be the first regional Games. It will be a template for future games where different jurisdictions can hold different sports.”
The final phase of the road cycling to be held in Traralgon and the T20 cricket will be held in Moe, with a venue for the shooting yet to be decided.
Mr Leane said the government would be investing in sporting infrastructure upgrades to accommodate the Games.
It would include expanding the Ted Summerton Reserve with temporary seating, stands and food stands that could be used for other international events.
Mr Leane pointed to the success of this year’s Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham which attracted a viewing audience of 1.5 billion people.
“The goal is make people watching the telecast get down here one day to support the community and spend money, support hospitality and accommodation. This is what the legacy will be,” he said.
Latrobe City mayor Kellie O’Callaghan said the Games would hold a significant legacy for the Valley, with the village to provide valuable housing for local residents.
“We are looking at building neighbourhoods, not just providing housing,” Cr O’Callaghan said.
“This is about creating social structures for people to get the support they need in an environment that is sustainable.”
