Question - Canberra Stadium

1. Have there been any discussions with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) about the Bruce Stadium.
2. Why has a direct request for broad financial support for a new stadium project not been made to the Australian Government.
3. What are the Chief Minister's reasons for concentrating his reported discussions on the Canberra stadium issue on the refurbishment of the existing AIS infrastructure at Bruce.
4. What consideration has been given to the proposal titled “Realising the National Capital Plan” which was presented to the Prime Minister, ACT Senators and Members and all Members of the ACT Legislative Assembly which included a new stadium model.

(1) Yes. On 28 June, the ACT Government signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) for the redevelopment or replacement of Canberra Stadium within the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) precinct.

(2) ACT Government has been talking to Australian Government about this matter over a period of time, and a formal proposal is currently under development. This proposal will be considered under the National Capital Investment Framework, which is a landmark agreement made possible by having an Australian Government that recognises and respects the significance of our city as the national capital. 

(3) The ACT Government has investigated several alternative locations for a new Canberra stadium. Early studies into the suitability of the Civic Pool site were promising, however more detailed analysis found it was not feasible to locate a stadium in the city centre due to a range of issues.  Significant compromises would need to be made to the stadium design, functionality and patron experience.  Crowd circulation and safety challenges would result in the closure of nearby roads with unacceptable traffic impacts. Severe noise issues and restricted access to residential surrounds during events, significant in-ground infrastructure relocations, and building mass impacts would unacceptably impact the amenity of the precinct (wind flow and overshadowing) – collectively resulting in a poor game day experience and atmosphere for patrons, teams, nearby residents and the broader ACT community.

Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC) is an alternative location for a new Canberra stadium, though it is not the preferred option at this time. 

(4) Officials have considered the “Realising the National Capital Plan – Creating Intergenerational Infrastructure for the National Capital Region” report, which unfortunately has limited detail and requires further interrogation into its assumptions.  More detailed information has been requested from the report’s proponents, which has not been forthcoming to date.  Based on the investigations the ACT Government has already undertaken, the major challenges of the site (listed above) have not been adequately addressed by this proposal.