12 May 2023

Stadium a zombie story that defies reality

| Ian Bushnell
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The Brumbies sing the team song surrounded by fans at GIO Stadium

Canberra Stadium after a Brumbies match this year. Not fit for purpose, says the NRL, but they won’t pay for a replacement. Photo: Tim Gavel.

I’d love a new football stadium in Canberra.

I’d also like a new Tesla, a holiday home down the coast and an annual overseas holiday.

But they’re not going to happen anytime soon.

The stadium is the zombie story that simply refuses to die, despite regular and definitive answers from our sports-loving Chief Minister.

For years now, he has listed the order of infrastructure priorities: first, the Canberra Theatre redevelopment, and he has all the data to show why it will pay its way, then a stadium, but not in the city, and the convention centre.

And, of course, now there is a new $1 billion hospital to build. We all know about light rail and don’t forget the housing crisis.

READ MORE Curtain up on design partner for Canberra Theatre Centre redevelopment

Mr Barr has also said repeatedly that the stadium’s future rests with the Australian Institute of Sport redevelopment at Bruce, about which he will say more leading up to the ACT Budget in June.

This week he said a new stadium was about five or six years away, so it is coming, just not on the Civic pool site that the Raiders, Brumbies and their cheerleaders in some sections of the media have been clamouring for. It just isn’t big enough, and there aren’t any others, unless you want to eat into Commonwealth Park.

Of course, there are engineering solutions for everything if you can afford it.

But the clubs, NRL and Rugby Australia haven’t put up any cash. It’s all on the taxpayers – ACT and Federal.

That hasn’t stopped the NRL from making a submission to a Parliamentary committee about how Canberra Stadium at Bruce is no longer fit for purpose and Canberra would lose out on international games (that were never coming here in the first place).

Canberra Theatre Centre redevelopment concept

Priority: An early concept of the new 2000-seat theatre in the Canberra Theatre Centre redevelopment. Image: ACT Government.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr, when asked the inevitable question about a new stadium at the announcement of the design partner for the Canberra Theatre redevelopment that does have a firm business case, fired back that the NRL should put its money where its mouth is.

Not a chance, because stadiums are not known for making much money, and it knows this.

And the biggest competitor stadiums have is the comfy armchair at home and live TV – and that’s the real money spinner for the NRL.

Mr Barr also said the government wasn’t here to pay for their sport, which isn’t quite true, given the amount of money already shelled out to Big Sport in this town, but the point was made about such a huge investment.

Of course, the couple of hundred million the Albanese Government has slung the Tasmanians to help them build a Hobart stadium for the new AFL franchise has raised questions about why Canberra is missing out.

Well, the Liberal Government there is now in strife because two of its members have quit the party over the colossal amount of money going to the stadium while Tasmanians struggle to put a roof over their heads and put food on the table.

There probably will be some Commonwealth money involved given a new stadium looks like being adjacent to the AIS precinct but, when it comes to priorities, it has to wait in line.

But don’t expect this story to die, even when an announcement of some sort is made next month.

READ ALSO No holds barred: Government’s new ruthless edge carries big risks

The city stadium boosters will still be screaming about how the Bruce facility is falling down or how far it is from everybody, despite nothing being that far from anybody in Canberra and free public transport laid on, how cold it is and how much business in Civic will lose.

As I said, a state-of-the-art football stadium in the city would be grand.

Just don’t expect taxpayers to supply the land and foot the bill at the expense of more compelling things to spend our money on.

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The stadium would be somewhere in the queue behind the drag strip that was promised about two decades ago.

Stop, stop this is giving everyone a headache. After the recent Tasmanian AFL stadium uproar, the next party that approves one will be lynched by the voter. Bottom line: No-one in canberra wants to waste taxpayers money on a useless square football stadium.

Gordon Williamson10:06 pm 15 May 23

What’s wrong with the existing stadium – really? It is never full – no-one can say they can’t come to a game because there are no seats. So the existing stadium is the right size for the city it serves. It could potentially be more luxurious but I would rather see any funds available to revamp or replace a perfectly adequate stadium redirect to areas of more pressing need – like affordable housing.

Yep clearly you have either not been there or don’t go regularly based on that comment.

@GL – Most Canberrans don’t go there regularly. That is the point. Most taxpayers are not interested in paying for something they don’t use.

That is an incredibly untrue statement.

New sports building should be in this order……1. Basketball Stadium for current NBL1 East Champions and prospective NBL side. 2. Suburban Indoor Basketball facilities to meet current massive demand, 3. Ice Sports Facility for current AIHL Champions CBR Brave 4. Refurbed GIO Stadium or Viking Park for Canberra’s A League2 teams currently under consideration for a 2024/25 start.

Agree! Rather than copying the boring common standards of other cities (why compete with them, when we can do better?), we should offer different sports a home and attract those interested in them, especially winter sports given our climate. We could become the Australian centre for winter sports.

What a misleading article!

For a start: “The stadium is the zombie story that simply refuses to die, despite regular and definitive answers from our sports-loving Chief Minister” – This is the most hilarious bit of PR fluff ever!!! Everyone knows this is not the case at all unless it is the AFL so don’t give us this!!!

“For years now, he has listed the order of infrastructure priorities: first, the Canberra Theatre redevelopment, and he has all the data to show why it will pay its way, then a stadium, but not in the city, and the convention centre.” – Wrong!!! He has not listed this for years cause he was spruking the city to the lake for ages which included a stadium….then all of a sudden it won’t make money and his opinion has always been Bruce or EPIC…This is a joke!

“Mr Barr has also said repeatedly that the stadium’s future rests with the Australian Institute of Sport redevelopment at Bruce, about which he will say more leading up to the ACT Budget in June.” – Wrong….See above!!!

“But the clubs, NRL and Rugby Australia haven’t put up any cash. It’s all on the taxpayers – ACT and Federal.” – Again wrong….There have been groups wanting to tip in money he has just ignored them!

“That hasn’t stopped the NRL from making a submission to a Parliamentary committee about how Canberra Stadium at Bruce is no longer fit for purpose and Canberra would lose out on international games (that were never coming here in the first place).” – Funny there has been two tests and a Women’s Origin all very popular but we can just ignore that!

I could go on but this is a rubbish article so why bother. Keep running PR for the CM.

Oh no, not another push for a new stadium – going around in circles by the local print press. After looking at the Tasmanian AFL stadium push, it would be a brave local politician to approve this waste of a structure in Canberra, specially when 90% of Canberra is totally against it. Maybe if it was oval in shape it might have a chance – but a rectangular will only be used for 6 months of the year. Huge waste.

Tom McLuckie9:39 am 15 May 23

What a surprise with yet another Ian Bushnell article singing the praises of Barr and Co. You might need to take the GreensLabor blinkers off once in a while Ian.

Capital Retro4:28 pm 15 May 23

Tom, Ian Bushnell is an old Fairfax journo. There’s no chance of him changing his rusted on ways.

Well pointed out!

It’s hilarious to see Bushnell write this article tying himself in knots around “fiscal responsibility” and how its unfair on “taxpayers” whilst also repeatedly supporting the light rail project that does not make sense for the exact same reasons he’s used around the stadium affordability.

The exact same arguments also apply to the new theatre but somehow the author doesn’t seem it reasonable to apply the same lens to that project either, it’s a “priority” after all.

Government spruikers are at least consistently inconsistent in the arguments they make.

TruthinMedia7:44 am 15 May 23

There always seems to be a disconnect between those in power in big organisations and those just working (or on welfare) trying to get by day by day and it’s called priorities. When you are in debt or cash is low you cut back on the non-essentials and focus on shelter, food and health for your family so given the massive debt of all Australian governments housing, hospitals and cutting the cost of groceries should be their priority because they are ours, the citizens who vote them in to look after us. I get the whole invest for the future and the Theatre (might) be cash flow positive for tax revenues one day but the house/health/food crisis is immediate, it’s harming people today.

What exactly is the point of more public housing in Canberra? There is already social housing for more than 1 in every 20 Canberrans which is more than the current unemployment rate. This is a public service town and if aren’t in gainful employment you should really consider what you are doing here. It is attracting the homeless from regional NSW and Victoria and filling our jails. We should be embarrassed to be a capital city with no entertainment facilities, health infrastructure and all the while catering for the destitute rabble of other states at public expense!

Only half of Canberra is in the public service. Clearly you haven’t looked at the demographics for awhile.

Stephen Saunders7:44 am 15 May 23

Nailed it, Ian. If I may say so. As a sports-nut and tram-lover. With a place at the coast and an o/s ticket each year.

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