Yes we can: Lee brushes off planning questions for Acton Waterfront stadium

Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee has dismissed planning hurdles to the Canberra Liberals’ proposal for a $700-800 million, 30,000-seat stadium on the Acton Waterfront, saying a Liberal Government would do whatever it takes to build the project.

The Liberals say they will start design work immediately and commence construction of a stadium with a clear EFTE roof in their first term.

But Chief Minister Andrew Barr said West Basin had already been investigated as a possible site for a stadium and had been ruled out.

Mr Barr said the site was designated land under the National Capital Plan and a stadium was not permitted by law.

He said it had strict planning controls and building heights, and the Federal Government, through the National Capital Authority, would have to approve it.

That would require a change to the NCP, which would be a lengthy process and require approval from both houses of the federal parliament.

Mr Barr said the NCP process began in 2004 and was agreed under the Howard Government.

“It is written very clearly in black and white down to finite detail, what can and can’t be built on that site,” he said.

“A National Capital Plan variation would take an entire parliamentary term, if not longer, to process, would need to be passed by both houses of parliament and would go through an extensive Federal Parliamentary Committee process.

“It took 10 years to get the National Capital Plan that we have now in place, so it would take at least that long to unwind that, and there would be considerable opposition to such a move given all the work that has been done over the last 20 years.”

Mr Barr said the only clear pathway was Labor’s proposal for a stadium in a precinct at Bruce with a revitalised Australian Institute of Sport.

However, Ms Lee said the Liberals had already begun discussions with the NCA, and she said they already had long-term plans to revitalise the area, possibly including hotels.

“This is where the stark contrast in the attitude of the current Labor-Greens government is, when they start with everything from a position of no,” she said.

“Under a Canberra Liberals government, we will start with a position of yes.

“We will continue to have these collaborative discussions with the NCA to ensure that we get this built.”

If a legislative change were required, Ms Lee said her government would “undertake whatever mechanisms are available to us to ensure that we get this major infrastructure project built because this is the kind of project that will signal to the entire country, to the world, that Canberra, as the nation’s capital of Australia, is open for business and is open to hosting world-class events.”

Ms Lee said the estimated cost was comparable with other stadiums of its kind, but she would be seeking a Federal Government contribution, given there were precedents for this, and also be open to a public-private partnership.

Other offsets were also on the table, including a reallocation of funding from other infrastructure projects.

This could include the Canberra Theatre redevelopment and the Northside Hospital, both of which have reached the tender stage for contractors and are slated to start mid-decade.

However, Ms Lee refused to commit to proceeding with these projects, saying she would have more to say about infrastructure closer to the election.

She said the costing would be submitted with other projects to Treasury before the election.

Mr Barr said the $700-800 million figure was about right for just building the stadium, but there were hundreds of millions of dollars of associated costs in developing a precinct, road and traffic management and parking.

“Moving 30,000 in and out of a venue is a significant endeavour,” he said.

Ms Lee said the design would include parking, and being close to the city made the site accessible from there, as well as there being vehicle access via the Glen Loch Interchange and along Parkes Way, particularly for southsiders, and public transport in light rail stage 2A, which the Liberals will complete.

She brushed off questions about running the convention centre and stadium builds concurrently, not to mention light rail stage 2A, in a nationally hot infrastructure market.

Mr Barr said the cost alone of these two projects was $1.5 billion.

“All year we have heard bluff and bluster from the Opposition about debt and deficit, and yet in the last three days, they’ve just dropped $1.5 billion without much scrutiny, ” he said.

“There will be a lot of scrutiny on this particular proposal.”

However, Ms Lee said the proposal would offer an enhanced spectator experience, a regional centre for sport and entertainment, and boost business and tourism.

“There is a reason why countries around the world build infrastructure projects of this kind in the city,” she said.

“That’s because of the broader economic benefits that will flow on through the entire community of having a major event attracting destination like this in the city.”

The proposal means the great public park planned for the site, Ngamawari, would not proceed, but Ms Lee said as much of it as possible would be retained in the stadium precinct.

Former Brumby and businessman Ben Alexander said the ACT had been talking about a stadium for 15 years and it was time for voters to decide where it should be.

“We call ourselves a world-class city,” he said.

“We need a place where people can get together and enjoy sport.

“I think sport brings so much to communities and brings people together, and we need safe, world-class events to bring people together to cheer, celebrate, commiserate, and then also go and spend their money in businesses around that precinct.”