How Commbank Stadium in Parramatta fits on to the Acton Waterfront site, according to the Canberra Liberals.
The Canberra Liberals have hit back at Labor claims its stadium proposal won’t fit on the Acton Waterfront site, providing their own overlays to show otherwise.
On Wednesday, Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the 6.4-hectare site by the lake was too small for what the Liberals were proposing.
Mr Barr said an overlay of CommBank Stadium in Parramattta, one of three comparable facilities quoted by the Liberals, showed a section of it would jut into Lake Burley Griffin.
He said the Liberals had, in effect, shrunk the stadium used in their imagery so it would fit on the site.
He accused the Liberals of not doing any due diligence before submitting their proposal to voters.
But Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee dismissed the claims as desperation from the Chief Minister, saying all three stadiums – CommBank, Townsville and Christchurch, which is still under construction – would fit comfortably.
Today (Thursday), the Liberals provided images showing each of the three stadiums fitting on the site, although it looks tight the way they have been positioned.
According to Christchurch’s post-earthquake Central Recovery Plan, that city’s stadium project sits on a 6ha site. It will stand 36 metres tall at its highest point. The maximum building height at West Basin under the National Capital Plan is 25m.
How a stadium such as Townsville and Christchurch would sit on the Acton Waterfront site. Images: Canberra Liberals.
Mr Barr said resolving planning issues to allow a stadium to be built on the Acton Waterfront site would be a lengthy and fraught process, requiring changes to the National Capital Plan.
The Commonwealth through the National Capital Authority (NCA) will have the deciding say.
The NCA told Region it considered all proposals put forward through the normal assessment processes.
“Amendments to the National Capital Plan are made through an established, transparent process that includes stakeholder and community consultation, and ministerial and parliamentary oversight,” the NCA said.
Under the Australian Capital Territory (Planning and Land Management) Act 1988, the NCA is required to regularly review the National Capital Plan as the national capital grows.
The Liberal proposal prompted public transport advocates to call for it to revoke its decision to ditch light rail stage 2B to Woden.
The Public Transport Association of Canberra (PTCBR) Ryan Hemsley said building a new stadium at West Basin without extending the light rail network across the lake was short-sighted and neglected its significant transport needs.
“A stadium of this scale will attract thousands of visitors. Without high-capacity public transport operating on its own dedicated right of way along the full length of Commonwealth Avenue, the Canberra Liberals are setting our city up for traffic chaos,” he said.
Mr Hemsley urged the Canberra Liberals to develop a comprehensive transport plan for the stadium that included extending light rail to Canberra’s southern suburbs.
Ms Lee was unmoved.
“We thank them for their advice,” she said.
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