Jacinta Allan

Events industry figure  Simon Thewlis has slammed the government’s handling of the Commonwealth Games, claiming that few people involved in the process actually had real-life major event experience.

It comes as the head of the federal infrastructure department revealed he does not think the 2026 Commonwealth Games will go ahead.

Mr Thewlis, who has worked in the industry for 40 years and was a key figure in the Save Victorian Events campaign during the pandemic, said the cancellation of the 2026 event is a “kick in the guts” to an industry that had struggled throughout Covid.

“Victoria’s event industry has gone through a lot since March 13 2020. This episode is really the final insult (and) the biggest debacle in the history of events in Australia,” he said.

“We suffered by the lack of support and lack of listening during Covid, and we suffer now because a great event, that should have happened, was bailed on.

“At the end of the day, a bunch of people with little to no real operational major event experience tried to organise one of the largest events our country has seen. They thought they knew better than the event industry.

“The Victorian government owes the event industry an apology and a commitment that they will finally listen to the industry that gave Victoria its reputation as an event stage in the first place.”

Meanwhile, department secretary Jim Betts was on Monday grilled about Australia’s attempts to salvage the global sporting event during a Senate estimates hearing.

Asked if he would be supportive of attending a Commonwealth Games hosted by the Gold Coast, Mr Betts said: “That is asking for an opinion, unless you mean attending in terms of tickets, in which case I don’t think there’s going to be a Commonwealth Games, so they wouldn’t be worth the paper they’re printed on”.

He later backtracked saying he didn’t understand the question, adding he would have “absolutely no insight”.

“I’m not responsible for any decisions at any level of government about whether and where the Commonwealth Games might proceed,” Mr Betts said.

“We might have had a role in terms of providing co-funding for various aspects of the Commonwealth Games had the Victorian government decided to proceed with them, but that appears not to be the case.”

Australia’s peak volleyball body has warned Victoria will be a “place to avoid” for hosting  even  Volleyball Australia CEO Andrew Dee said the state’s reputation as a major events destination had taken a massive hit.

It comes just days after Visit Victoria chief Brendan McClements claimed that the government’s decision to scrap the event had actually increased international interest in the state.

Mr Dee hit back at Mr McClements’ comments, stating: “I expect Victoria for some time will be a place to avoid if you’re wanting to put on an event there.”

Mr Dee said he met regularly with the CEOs of other major sporting bodies who also shared his sentiment.

“I don’t think any of my colleagues would agree with (Mr McClements’) statement either,” he said.

As revealed in July, the Victorian government secretly pulled the plug on the 2025 beach volleyball world championships lead-up event in Torquay that left the sport scrambling to salvage its’ international reputation.

Mr Dee said the sport was left “high and dry” by the government’s decision.

Mr Dee said Volleyball Australia would “absolutely” have to reconsider dealing with the Victorian government again in future.

“We certainly would approach it differently,” he said.

“We would certainly want to undertake some assurances. We would certainly want sanctions and penalties for breach of contract.

“Never in your wildest dreams would you have thought that the Commonwealth Games would be cancelled after signing the contract.

“The reputational damage is significant. Other jurisdictions in the country will be preferred over Victoria for some time to come, both internally within Australia but also by international bodies overseas. I think that’s just a fact that will play out over time.”