Canberra Liberals commit to building city stadium at Acton Waterfront

The Canberra Liberals have dropped an election bombshell by committing to delivering a new 30,000 stadium in the city at the Acton Waterfront, where the Barr Government is developing a public park by the lake and plans to release land for multi-unit housing and commercial projects.

Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee said in a statement that a Liberal government would begin construction in its first term if elected on 19 October.

The Liberals had always supported the push for a stadium to be built in the city, but the choice of site is a surprise given the well-known plans for the waterfront.

On Saturday, the party announced it would build a new convention centre on the Civic pool site, which had been favoured for a stadium.

Ms Lee said the Liberals were committed to providing Canberrans with a city stadium that would bring enormous social, cultural and economic benefits to the ACT.

“A world-class stadium located at the Acton Waterfront, in close proximity to restaurants, bars and hotels will revitalise not only the city centre but all of Canberra,” Ms Lee said.

“A new city stadium, delivered by the Canberra Liberals, will provide our local elite sporting teams, such as the Raiders, Brumbies and Canberra United, with a modern facility and will be a venue that attracts international sporting events, state of origin and world-class music and entertainment.”

Ms Lee said the chosen site for the stadium at the Acton Waterfront did not require other buildings to be knocked down or excessive associated works as those put forward by Chief Minister Andrew Barr at other sites across Canberra.

However, the statement did not say how much it would cost.

It did not mention the current plans for the Acton Waterfront. The park, named Ngamawari, is being developed in two stages and behind it is planned a new city neighbourhood of apartments, shops, businesses, cafes, recreational activities and commercial accommodation.

The proposal could also run into trouble winning approval from the National Capital Authority, particularly if the vistas to Parliament House are impeded.

Ms Lee said the proposed stadium would significantly boost tourism and create local jobs, with taxpayers to receive significant economic benefits for money spent on the project even before considering federal funding or public-private partnership arrangements. The statement did not elaborate.

“There is a reason why cities all across Australia and the world build stadiums in the city centre,” Ms Lee said.

“The enormous benefits that come with an infrastructure project of this kind in the city have been proven time and time again.

“A new stadium located in the city will signal to the rest of Australia and the world that Canberra is open for business and open to host world-class events.”

Ms Lee said the Labor-Greens Government had no interest in building a new stadium, saying Mr Barr had strung Canberrans along for over a decade with broken promises and multiple feasibility studies.

“For too long Canberrans have been let down by a government that has failed time and time again to deliver infrastructure projects for the ACT,” she said.

“It is now abundantly clear that the Canberra Liberals are the only party that will build a new stadium for our city.”

Labor has settled on Bruce as the site for a new stadium, as part of the sport, health and education precinct, with the expectation that the Commonwealth would contribute to the cost. The current development trajectory has a stadium to be built by 2033.

Mr Barr abandoned the city stadium proposal for the Civic pool site because of site constraints and cost.

ACT Labor also plans to build a convention centre on the pool site but with a 7500-8000 seat entertainment pavilion and a timeline similar to that for the Bruce stadium.

The Liberals plan to break ground on their convention centre proposal in the first term in a staged build that will all up cost $760 million. They say the first stage will be up and running within five years.