Carlton Supporters Club

Interesting the Commonwealth Games announcement.

I suspected at the time the costs / bidding was all a bit dubious. because coming out of COVID I was hearing from mates in construction and event business that costs were skyrocketing and the announced budget was basically the same as a pre-COVID 2018 games. Some materials have gone up twofold or threefold in cost, also not directly but because resources are being redirected the decision to cut forestry in Vic has made things even worse. All this feeds back.

I wonder how much of the estimated budget overrun is really increased material costs, versus contractors trying to recover their loss of income over COVID?

You'd have to be pretty nervous working on big projects at the moment, but on the bright side there might be a fresh material for a new episode of Utopia!

Those of you who do not follow this stuff won't be surprised to find the average blowout for a Comm games is about +50%, Brisbane was almost 100% and Birmingham was 43%. There are accusations of creative accounting for the Birmingham games with allegations some expenses were funnelled into special COVID budgets not included in the final report.

Its a case of damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.

As a outsider looking in, with no knowledge of the State's financial situation...it looks a bit embarrassing.
Countries cancelling such events are usually the poorer nations.

The regional nature of the games and the spread around the State always seemed a bit strange, rather than a central Melbourne location.

Victoria came in as the 'saviour' in April last year after there were no other takers, and in response to a request from the Commonwealth Games Federation.

Victoria came in as the 'saviour' in April last year after there were no other takers, and in response to a request from the Commonwealth Games Federation.  Pretty sure Andrews et al saw it as a great opportunity to announce justifiable pork barrelling of some regional areas prior to a State election last November. 

Given the limited interest, especially in terms of telecast rights around the globe, the numbers just don't stack up any more for this event, and anyway, how many international visitors will be attracted to Bendigo and Traralgon as a result?

Funny, though, how those that are now moaning about the reputational damage would no doubt have been the same critics if it had gone ahead and poured $6b+ down the gurgler.

Moral is, don't host any events unless they are worth hosting.

When blokes working on projects are pulling 300+ K, let alone what the managerial types are charging, no wonder the state is Jeffed.

As someone said on radio earlier, the only one looking like a goose today is Andrews.

It seems a lot of the facilities being built for the games will still proceed.
There may also be some positions appointed that will have to be sorted, and maybe some contractual obligations.
So it's not like all the money will be 'saved'.

It's hard to argue that there may be some greater needs for the state, but just how much 'pulling out' of the games will actually cost will be interesting.

Im sure the money would have been spent more wisely, they should have estimated properly back then. To quote the great  Kerry Packer "Which kent farked that up?"
As for how much pulling out will cost, it was stated on radio today the estimates are north of $1B.

Is this essentially the same mob that cancelled the contracted connector/bypass road through Parkville ?
What did that cost…?

East West Link? $1.1B to not build it, then announced the western distributor which costs have blown out to the shizenhousen.