Tasmanian Government considers 2026 Commonwealth Games bid

Reports have emerged today that the Tasmanian Government is considering bidding for the 2026 Commonwealth Games with the event to be staged in Hobart and Launceston.

As reported by the ABC, Tasmanian Premier, Peter Gutwein has written to the Chief Executive of Commonwealth Games Australia, Craig Phillips, formally requesting that Tasmania be considered as a host for the event.

Tasmanian Sport Minister Jane Howlett said the state was ready to make the most of the opportunity noting "our government is committed to delivering more elite sporting content for Tasmanians to enjoy — and importantly, provide pathways for local sports men, women and children.”

Two decades after the last Melbourne Commonwealth Games, Victoria was recently reported as being a frontrunner to host the 2026 event with governments in Western Australia, South Australia, and New South Wales having already flagged they would not be proceeding with bids. Queensland has already hosted the event in 2018 and will be preparing for the 2032 Olympic Games by 2026. The Victorian Government has yet to announce any plans.

Recent changes to Commonwealth Games scheduling has opened the window for a city to host the 2026 event. The 2022 Games will be held later this year in Birmingham in the England midlands after Durban in South Africa was stripped of the hosting rights in 2017 over a lack of progress.

Birmingham had been scheduled to host the 2026 event, but was called on to accelerate preparation in order to deliver the games this year, leaving 2026 vacant.

Minister Howlett told the ABC that the Tasmanian Government would consider co-hosting the event with Victoria adding "we are confident that we can work collaboratively with Commonwealth Games Australia on the opportunities Tasmania presents as either a host or co-host."

The bid for the 2026 games comes after Hobart successfully hosted the 5th Ashes test at the Blundstone Arena 14th to 18th January 2022, and could be used as leverage by the Tasmanian government to encourage a federal spending spree in Tasmania.

According to the ABC, a PriceWaterHouseCoopers report determined Commonwealth Games cities saw an increase in tourism by up to 25% four years after hosting the games, however the cost of staging a games would be in the hundreds of millions.

Image: Hobart's Blundstone Arena.