Games’ housing legacy
Athletes villages to become social housing
The 2026 Commonwealth Games athletes village at Waurn Ponds will be turned into social and affordable housing once the competition has finished, organising committee chief Jeroen Weimar has confirmed.
Mr Weimar, the games organising committee chief executive, told an Urban Development Institute of Australia summit in Geelong the four athletes villages would be retrofitted once the competition wrapped up in March 2026.
About 2500 athletes will be housed on the Waurn Ponds train station precinct site, while the government had also locked in locations at Ballarat’s old saleyards for 2300 athletes, for around 1900 athletes at the former La Trobe University site in Bendigo’s Flora Hill, and 1000 athletes at Morwell.
Mr Weimar said the sites would soon all be in state government hands.
He said the villages would be designed initially to house the athletes, but organisers wanted to create a legacy for the community in the wake of the international event.
“We will convert those residences from athletes accommodation into stand-alone one, two, three and four-bedroom units and then we will sell them both through affordable housing providers and social housing providers.”
Mr Weimar said it would be a significant kickstart to provide high quality housing in those regions.
Committee for Geelong chief executive Jennifer Cromarty said it would be a great outcome.
“I think if that’s the outcome, the government would be able to get a bit of a return on their investment,” Ms Cromarty said
“That’s not a bad model because if the government is looking at greater density and building affordable housing, you’ve got to have a mix (of social and affordable housing).
“My understanding is the Commonwealth Games Federation has a prescriptive way of having things built and that includes in-built retail.
“So it means it might come with all those other amenities, which would be great.”
Mr Weimar said organisers needed to invest in significant infrastructure to support the Games, including ferrying thousands of people between Melbourne and regional cities each day.
He said significant commercial developments were needed in time for the games.
“We would like to see more hotel accommodation delivered, particularly in Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo,” he said.
Organisers expect 150,000 visitors in Geelong during competition and want to hold people in the region as long as possible to enjoy not only the sport, but a cultural project and tourism opportunities.
There are some significant hotel projects in the pipeline in Geelong, including at the waterfront convention centre.
The 180-room Holiday Inn at Geelong Quarter on Ryrie St is expected to open in 2023, while the 87-apartment Quest Central Geelong hotel is also under construction on Gheringhap St.
Early ground works have also been started for the 15level Punthill Geelong apartment hotel, which will offer 80 studio apartments in Bellerine St.
Amber Property Group is awaiting final approval from the Victorian Planning Minister on a $250m mixed use development at 35 Corio St, which would feature a 168room hotel.