Commonwealth Games Australia chief executive Craig Phillips is attempting to find a new Australian host for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, he has revealed ©Getty Images

Commonwealth Games Australia chief executive Craig Phillips is set to meet with State Premiers over the coming weeks in an attempt to find a new host in the country for the 2026 event following Victoria's withdrawal.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews controversially pulled his State from staging the Games due to rising costs, claiming that it would cost AUD$7 billion (£3.6 billion/$4.6 billion/€4.2 billion) instead of the forecast AUD$2.6 billion (£1.3 billion/$1.7 billion/€1.5 billion).

Phillips stated that the figure was an "unfair exaggeration" and maintained hope that another Australian host will step forward, despite every other Premier stating they were not interested in staging the event after Victoria withdrew.

"It obviously supported a narrative of cancelling the Games," Phillips said, as reported by the Herald Sun.

"Maybe those numbers exist, we haven't seen them.

"We'll look at working with any state that wants to have a conversation with us about what the Games could look like and what the costs may be, but certainly the numbers out there at the moment are highly inflated.

"There are other models that can apply. 

"The reality is the Games are flexible and we have a strategic road map that makes it flexible."

Despite using existing venues, such as those in Ballarat, Victoria's hosting of the 2026 Commonwealth Games was cancelled due to increasing costs ©City of Ballarat
Despite using existing venues, such as those in Ballarat, Victoria's hosting of the 2026 Commonwealth Games was cancelled due to increasing costs ©City of Ballarat

Phillips could not give an estimate on how much the Games would cost but said it would be determined by factors such as the scale of the event and infrastructure expenses.

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and Victorian Government are now in talks to work out a compensation figure following the termination of the hosting contract.

"I cannot reveal to you what that is because those numbers are already confidential," Phillips said. 

"I can't give you a ballpark, what I can tell you is what Birmingham cost, AUD1.5 billion (£778 million/$994 million/€908 million), I can tell you what the Gold Coast cost, $1.2 billion (£622 million/$795 million/€726 million), so they're the two most recent Games, one only last year.

"That gives you some guide as to what the Games could cost.

"The only thing that's certain right now is that they won't be in Victoria, we will press on to find hosts, we'll work with the CGF on that, whether the hosts we find are in Australia or somewhere else in the Commonwealth, we'll support it, we’ll take a team.

"But the show will go on."