Early works are poised to begin on two new sporting venues in Geelong as the countdown to the 2026 Commonwealth Games continues.
Geotech works or the Armstrong Creek Aquatics centre on Barwarre Road are due to begin this month and continue into late next month.
The venue will include competition, warm-up and diving pools.
After the Games it will be converted to a centre with sports courts, a community pool and open space.
Architects Warren and Mahoney have partnered with Geelong firm Four18 Architecture to design the venue, Development Victoria said.
Also on Baanip Boulevard in the Waurn Ponds Station precinct will be the artistic gymnastics, weightlifting and para powerlifting venue.
Post-Game it will become a seven multi-sports court centre with dance studio and a regional-level gymnastics centre.
ARM Architecture is designing this venue.
“The 2026 Games is about sport and much more—it’s about pride of place, creating jobs in Geelong, driving economic growth and leaving an enduring legacy of accessible, inclusive and fit-for-purpose housing and community infrastructure,” the Victorian minister for Commonwealth Games Legacy Harriet Shing said.
The Victorian government has invested $292 million into building these venues ahead of the Games in three years.
Geelong will host nine sports for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Its Games village at the Waurn Ponds Station Precinct will host about 2500 athletes and officials.
Kardinia Park will host the Closing Ceremony with an expected 40,000 spectators.
More than $3 billion is estimated to be added to the state’s economy through the Games with more than 7500 jobs created before, during and after the event.
An expressions-of-interest process is due to open in May 2023 with contractors and other parties able to register via the Buying for Victoria website.
Some developers remain concerned that the state government’s projects, such as the 2026 Commonwealth Games, the Big Build and the Big Housing Build, will contribute to the shortage of construction labour.
“The demand for materials and labour for these projects will have an impact on a construction industry already at capacity,” Mitchell Brandtman associate Zaron Smith said
“Typically infrastructure government projects if they require speed in completion, they will require more staff
“Infrastructure projects typically have larger budgets that could encourage more appealing pay packages for staff.”
