Jeroen Weimar is no stranger to standing by Daniel Andrews’ side as he delivers shocking, frustrating or disappointing news to Victorians.
On Tuesday, he was there as the Premier announced the 2026 Commonwealth Games had been abruptly cancelled as costs for the regional event had blown out from $2.6 billion to potentially $7 billion or more.
But Mr Weimar became a familiar face at significant press conferences long before Tuesday. His last job was Victoria’s Covid response commander.
Mr Weimar was appointed chief executive officer of the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games organising committee in June last year, two years after his top Covid job was established and less than two months after it came to an end.
The new role carried a salary up to $620,000 a year, according to the Herald Sun.
Mr Weimar’s Geelong-based committee of about 100 people were responsible for managing venues and services, logistics, partnerships and engagement, and media, broadcasting and communications.
“For them, for all of us, this has come as a huge shock last night and this morning,” Mr Weimar said, confirming operations were suspended.
He said he would now need to work out what role they would play in delivering a promised $2 billion regional package, which Mr Andrews insisted would ensure all the permanent sporting facilities that were to be legacy benefits from the Games would be built.
When pressed about how long Mr Weimar had known the Games were going to cost possibly $4 billion more than planned, he said the potential cost blowout had emerged “over the last few weeks, over the last few months”.
“We’ve looked at alternative options about what we can do to really significantly reduce those costs,” he said. “Ultimately we could not find a way to bring this within a shouting distance of the original budget that was decided by government.”
It is not yet known what Mr Weimar will do next.
He has previously been chief executive officer of VicRoads, head of transport services for the Victorian Transport Department and chief executive officer of Public Transport Victoria.
Before moving to Australia, he held various senior roles in the UK.
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Meanwhile, the Commonwealth Games Federation is considering legal action against Victoria.
CGF chief executive Katie Sadleir said she had been left blindsided by the sudden decision by Victorian government officials.
Commonwealth Games Australia chief executive officer Craig Phillips claimed the government “exaggerated” costs in its revised estimates and had ignored advice to save costs by hosting more events in Melbourne.
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