He was asked to appear at the public hearing first in Melbourne and then Bendigo but declined before Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan described it as nothing more than a "political stunt".

"The Victorian auditor-general has indicated that they are planning to look at this matter and given the powers and the access to cabinet documents and the resources of the Victorian auditor-general, they're best placed to do this work," Allan said. 

"This Senate inquiry is all a political stunt led by Senator Bridget McKenzie."

Nationals Senate Leader McKenzie then called on Allan to "front up and face" the inquiry in response.

The cost of hosting the Commonwealth Games rose from AUD2.6 billion (£1.3 billion/$1.7 billion/€1.5 billion) to an expected AUD6 billion (£3.1 billion/$4 billion/€3.6 billion), according to Government documents.

This was the primary reason for the withdrawal, which has seen support for Andrews decline from 41 per cent to 39 according to Resolve Political Monitor.

The decision has left those due to be involved with the hosting reeling especially in the Games' regional sub-sites of Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Gippsland, and Shepparton.

Ballarat was supposed to stage athletics events including the marathon and boxing at Victoria 2026 and was due to have an Athletes' Village that would have seen housing for 1,800 people constructed.

This was then due to be turned into permanent housing for local people. 

At the inquiry, Ballarat Councillor Ben Taylor spoke of the disappointment brought by the decision.

"When we all read it in the newspaper, because that's the only way you find out these things from the Government, it kind of ripped the heart out of the community," he said.

Taylor also claims that City of Ballarat chief executive Evan King was heavily pressured into signing a non-disclosure agreement for the Games.

"All chief executive's were - I wouldn't say encouraged, they were more forced - if you wanted to be a part of the conversation, you had to sign those agreements," he alleged.

"We quizzed [him] multiple times and he had to be very careful of what he even explained to councillors around the process."

Committee for Ballarat chief executive Michael Poulton said the Games' price tag did not make sense to him.

He told the inquiry that organisers overlook projects that would benefit the local community such as another train station as opposed to buses which he was told would be the dominant form of transport.

"There is a sense that the regions are being a bit ignored here, that this is Government decision-making that is based out of the Melbourne bureaucracy telling regional Victoria what is best for you," he said.

Andrews hit back at the allegation that the Government did not listen to advice from regional representatives saying, "the Committee for Ballarat was making precisely zero contribution to the cost of the Games."

Geelong Hockey Association President Alan Climpson also aired his concerns at the inquiry. 

The body is left without a AUD750,000 (£384,000/$484,000/€446,000) investment that was promised to come with its hosting of the matches at the Games.

Stead Park was due to receive two new synthetic pitches but it will go without the much-needed upgrade due to the withdrawal from Victoria, which Climpson described as a "kick in the guts".