Perth mayor says Western Australia should “swoop in” and host Commonwealth Games

Perth mayor says Western Australia should “swoop in” and host Commonwealth Games
Edited by Travel Weekly


    Western Australia should take over as host of the Commonwealth Games, according to Perth mayor, Basil Zempilas.

    Speaking to radio station Triple M, Zempilas says the state should “swoop in” and host the games in the west.

    He said Western Australia could carry the torch for Australia and was in a position to dictate how much would be spent on the games in order to save them.

    “What WA should be in a position to do in the next few days is say to the Commonwealth Games committee, ‘Here’s the venues we’ve got, we’re not spending $7 billion,’” he said.

    You make your Commonwealth Games fit the venues we’ve got.”

    Zempilas said an athletes’ village costing around $500 million could be used as social housing after the games had finished.

    “Our financial state here in WA is far superior to the parlous state that exists in Victoria.

    We’ve got a huge opportunity to swoop in, get it at the right price and do something defining for our city.”

    Former WA premier Mark McGowan put an end to any potential bid for the Games after an audit suggested it would cost about $1 billion.

    McGowan criticised the Victorian government for spending so much money on the Commonwealth Games at the time of the Audit.

    Latest News

    • Cruise

    P&O rescues Rotary volunteers after collapse of Air Vanuatu

    P&O Cruises Australia has answered a plea for help from a group of young Australian Rotary volunteers, stranded in Vanuatu following the collapse of Air Vanuatu. The students, many of them teenagers from Albury, NSW, were volunteering for a youth project run by the Hive Rotary Club Australia when the airline abruptly cancelled all flights, […]

    • Destinations

    Intrepid continues expansions with launch of first DMC in Jordan

    Intrepid has increased its presence in the Middle East with the opening of its first destination management company in Jordan. Based in Amman, the local team will operate Intrepid’s range of nine experiential small group tours in Jordan from this summer, with a view to expanding the range for 2025 and beyond. Zina Bencheikh, managing […]

    • Appointments

    Minor hotels appoints Puneet Dhawan to key Asia role

    Global hotel owner and operator Minor Hotels has appointed Puneet Dhawan as head of Asia as the group plots its growth in Asia and India. From July, Dhawan will be responsible for the performance of all Minor Hotels properties in Asia, working in close collaboration with the Minor Hotels senior leadership team and will report […]

    • Appointments

    Abercrombie & Kent and Crystal appoint Evon Ler to director of sales, Asia

    Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group have announced that Evon Ler will join them in the new role of director of sales, Asia. She will work closely with Tony Archbold (VP, Sales, APAC, Crystal) and Susan Haberle (VP, Sales & Partnerships, APAC, A&K) with trade support across the region. Ler comes to the A&K family with more […]