Victoria 2026 facilities to be built in Waurn Ponds, Armstrong Creek

CLOSE to $300 million of sporting infrastructure will be built in Waurn Ponds and Armstrong Creek for the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games, with the state government revealing more details today (Saturday, October 29).

Geelong, the Bellarine and the Surf Coast will host a athletes’ village, nine sports, and the closing ceremony, and the $292 million of new facilities will be converted into community infrastructure after the Games have finished.

The aquatics centre in Armstrong Creek will host swimmers, para swimmers and divers while the Commonwealth’s best gymnasts, weightlifters and para powerlifters will aim for gold in Waurn Ponds.

After the Games, the aquatics centre – the exact location of which has not yet been revealed – will become a community pool facility, with multi-purpose courts and green open space preserved.

The artistic gymnastics and weightlifting venue in Waurn Ponds – also at a yet-to-be-revealed site – will become seven multi-sport courts, a dance studio, and a regional-level gymnastics centre.

“Aquatics and gymnastics are highlights at any Commonwealth Games and these new facilities at Waurn Ponds and Armstrong Creek will be terrific for hosting the Commonwealth’s best athletes,” Commonwealth Games Australia chief executive officer Craig Phillips said.

Two Commonwealth Games-first sports will be hosted in the region, with golf teeing off on the Bellarine Peninsula and coastal rowing making its debut in Torquay.

“Tens of thousands of people will come to Geelong for Victoria 2026, and we’re investing in the world-class housing and sporting infrastructure that will benefit not only Games delivery but the community for years to come,” Minister for Commonwealth Games Delivery Jacinta Allan said.

“What a win for Torquay to see a new Commonwealth sport get under way at one of the world’s finest beaches, as a centrepiece of our regional Games.”

Bellarine MP Lisa Neville said: “Millions will tune in to watch the Games and the spectacular sights and tastes of the Bellarine will be on show to the world – this is just part of the legacy of Victoria 2026,.

The Games village location is now also confirmed, with the Waurn Ponds Station Precinct to become a home away from home for about 2,500 athletes and officials in March 2026.

The village will be designed in consultation with the local community and Traditional Owners, celebrating the rich culture of the Wadawurrung people and showcasing the lifestyle of Geelong, the Bellarine and the Surf Coast.

“We’re proud that hosting a Commonwealth Games enables significant contributions to the broader community, through much needed legacy housing such as the Waurn Ponds village project,” South Barwon MP Darren Cheeseman said.

Kardinia Park will host not only the final of the T20 cricket but also the closing ceremony, which is expected to attract 40,000 spectators and a potential global audience of more than one billion. The $142 million Stage  upgrade of Kardinia Park’s GMHBA Stadium is expected to be complete in mid-2023.

“Kardinia Park is the premier sporting facility in regional Victoria, and it’s the perfect place to host the Closing Ceremony for Victoria 2026,” Geelong MP Christine Couzens said.

As previously announced, the Geelong region is also hosting events in triathlon and para triathlon, beach volleyball, table tennis and para table tennis, and hockey, with the latter to be played on two international-standard hockey pitches to be built at Stead Park in North Geelong.

“Victoria 2026 will see the Commonwealth’s best hockey players battle it out at Stead Park, and I’m looking forward to see Geelong and Lara communities benefit from the thousands of visitors who will come to watch,” Lara MP John Eren said.

During Victoria 2026, Geelong will also be home to a program of live sites including music, performance and art, showcasing some of its iconic locations such as Geelong’s spectacular waterfront and the Arts Precinct.

For more information about the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games, head to vic.gov.au/victoria2026