Metropolitan media has touted Mars Stadium was likely to become the headline venue, home to the highest-drawing crowds with the athletics program, under a renewed regional-cities focus strategy.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews made clear on Wednesday the state's quest to host the Games would be completely different, "predominantly in regional Victoria", compared to the Olympic-style scale of the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

The government was keen to use the state's existing facilities and to instead focus spending on supportive infrastructure. Mr Andrews flagged Mars Stadium for athletics, given its facilities to host national, elite sports and fewer disruptions to AFL needs.

"Some regional communities are self-starters in terms of they have already got strengths. So whether it's netball and basketball in Bendigo, perhaps some of the aquatic stuff down Geelong way...Athletics for instance at the upgraded - but probably need to be further upgraded - Mars Stadium in Ballarat," Mr Andrews said.

"We have made significant investments everywhere from Mars Stadium in Ballarat all the way through to GMHBA stadium in Geelong."

Mars Stadium's capacity is for 11,000 fans and, when redeveloped in 2017, was designed to accommodate growth.

Committee for Ballarat chief executive Michael Poulton, who has worked at four Olympic Games, said it was possible.

Mr Poulton pointed to Gold Coast's Metricon Stadium, which was the showpiece for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. This stadium's capacity was almost doubled to 40,000 with a temporary grandstand.

Mr Poulton said there were different ways to improve costs and benefits for host cities of major sporting events.

He said rather than building a whole new stadium, or overhauling a place like the MCG, the changed focus could lead to better legacy infrastructure. This could include better public transport access, better amenities, better indoor facilities or greening streetscapes.

Reports of a shared Victorian Games bid emerged in January when South African city Durban pulled out of its plans. The 2022 Commonwealth Games are months away in Birmingham, England, and Canada has remained keen to host the 2030 Games as a centenary celebration to first playing host.

Mr Poulton said the Victorian government's intentions were a positive first step but were not a guarantee to be named host.

"These are extremely complex events and with significant disruption for a city, but this is a unique model and may pave the way for how such events are held in the future," Mr Poulton said.

"I'm really excited by the genuine enthusiasm in the city already and we'll work incredibly hard to maximise Ballarat as part of a collaborative approach."

City of Ballarat mayor Daniel Moloney, who also leads Regional Cities Victoria, said there were a range of cities with strong sporting features and it was important to tap into each region's strengths and sporting niches.

And while Ballarat and Bendigo's sporting rivalry was long and intense, across sporting codes, Cr Moloney said there was actually a good working friendship between the two cities.

Cr Moloney said we should always give thought to non-traditional Commonwealth Games sports, for example rowing, which was prominent in editions from the 1930s to the 1960s, but had not featured since the 1986 Edinburgh Games in Scotland.

"Ballarat has consistently hosted state and national rowing and has a proven record in big events," Cr Moloney said. "One of the things I see coming out of the '56 Olympics rowing on Lake Wendouree is the multi-generational flow-on effect."

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City of Ballarat will create a Ballarat-based taskforce of business, community and sporting leaders to better determine the region's Games potential and capabilities.

Cr Moloney said that as it stood, Geelong was the only regional city with a stadium big enough for opening and closing ceremonies - and the athletics.

He said cycling road races were a natural target for Ballarat, given the city's successful and lengthy hosting duties for AusCycling Road National Championships.

Ballarat-Sebastopol Cycling Club president Tim Canny said nationals puts Ballarat in a good position for such an event but a lot would depend on what race the Commonwealth Games committee would want.

Geelong hosted the 2010 world cycling championships and, pandemic years excepted, has built a UCI Tour event in the Cadel Evans Ride.

Ballarat is one of four regional cities - with Geelong, Bendigo and Traralgon - to have hosted Commonwealth Games basketball qualifying rounds in 2006.

City of Ballarat councillor Peter Eddy, who was Basketball Ballarat chief executive at the time, said the Selkirk Stadium we have today was essentially built of that experience, what we could do as a city, and an impetus to improve.

On top of economic benefits for the region and greater cultural awareness, Cr Eddy said one key learning really stood out.

"There was the immense sense of pride people had in their venues dressed up as a Commonwealth Games facility," he said. "Even if the countries playing were largely unknown, or the (Australian) Boomers we had here had an unbalanced score, people were cheering.

"It wasn't just local competition but international experience in our backyard."

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