Contractors Called to Victoria Games Starting Line

Development Victoria has released an advance tender notice to the construction sector for works on the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The notice asks contractors and regional businesses within the construction industry to submit tenders for civil works for the Games. 

Four athletes villages will house around 7000 athletes and officials in Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong and Morwell for the event in March 2026. 

Bidders will need to deliver both civil works and specialist items such as remediation for certain sites.

An expressions-of-interest process will open next month with parties able to register via the Buying for Victoria website.

A shortlist of contractors will then be invited to go through a request for proposal process. 

Civil works needed across the Games village sites might include bulk earthworks, new drains and sewers, relocating existing utility services and infrastructure, new roads and upgrading existing roads as well as general demolition and clearing works.

Contractors can apply to work on one or several locations. 

▲ The former Ballarat Saleyards site where one of four athletes village will be built.

Another expressions of interest process is already under way for builders interested in delivering the Games villages and is due to close at the end of this month. 

Regional businesses are encouraged to apply, Development Victoria Commonwealth Games group head Joanne Wandel said.

“We’ll work closely with the construction sector over the next three years, with significant investment being made by the Victorian government in community infrastructure, including housing and world-class sports facilities,” Wandel said.

“This first stage of works on the villages will lay the foundations to leave a long-lasting legacy including additional housing in regional communities.”

Victoria is expected to gain more than $3 billion to its economy with the Games. 

The Victorian government expects that the Games will also deliver more than 600 jobs prior to, 3900 jobs during and another 3000 jobs after the Games.

There has previously been some concern that the timeline to deliver the villages and other needed facilities and infrastructure upgrades was too tight. 

“There’s not a lot of time to get it done,” Greater Geelong mayor Trent Sullivan told The Urban Developer in January.