Phillips told insidethegames here that the country are the "contingency plan" for the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).

With Birmingham and Liverpool in England, Victoria in Canada and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia all expressing an interest in replacing Durban as hosts, it appears unlikely Australia will enter the race as they are already hosting the Commonwealth Games next year in the Gold Coast. 

Phillips admitted holding two consecutive editions of the Commonwealth Games was "not what the Movement wanted" but insisted they would be willing to step in should England, Canada or Malaysia fail to reach an agreement with the CGF.

Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney in Australia have all indicated they would be capable of staging the 2022 Commonwealth Games, stripped from Durban in March after the city failed to meet a series of financial deadlines.

Phillips admitted there no formal plan was in place from either city and hinted the interest was highest from Sydney, host of the 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

"I think that’s a good summary that we are a contingency plan," Phillips told insidethegames during the Commonwealth Youth Games here.

"We’ll continue to initially monitor how things are tracking for them and obviously if we need to move forward with a more complete bid we will do that.

"The conventional wisdom - and it is not just us, it is the CGF and everybody else - is that two Games in a row in Australia is not what all of us want.

"But if two Games in a row in Australia is the only option left then that’s what we will do so we will position ourselves from that point of view.

"Having said that, we also want to make sure the CGF ends up in a good position, whoever they may partner with."

"We don’t want to see them put in a difficult position because they are seen to be beggars at the feast.

"Certainly if we start to go down that track where they are put in a difficult position we will also look at whether there is time for us to step up as well to give them another alternative.

"At this stage we will just continue to monitor how things are going.

"Of course, we would like to see the Games celebrated somewhere else in the world but it has got to be the right partner and it has to work for the CGF and the Movement.

"We want to make sure they get the right partner but that it is on their terms and that’s why we continue to be engaged with them."

Phillips claimed Australia would not bid "as long as we can make the assessment that they have got a partner in there somewhere that is going to engage in the right way".

"The risk with this is that if the CGF are seen to be looking desperately for a relationship that that can be taken advantage of and we don’t want to see that happen," he added.

"We just keep saying to the CGF that if you need us as almost a last resort then we are happy to continue."

The CGF have not revealed exactly when the host city for 2022 will be chosen although an announcement is expected in early November.

CGF chief executive David Grevemberg said in April that they had hoped to complete the process by mid-summer.

The respective Commonwealth Games Associations have until September 30 to submit a formal bid to the CGF.

A review team, made up of CGF officials and international experts, is expected to review the merits of each bid in October.

Cities will then be given the chance to put their case to the CGF before a city is selected the following month.