Barr and Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland announced on Wednesday morning that Australia will play Sri Lanka at Manuka Oval in the summer of 2018-19.

It was trumpeted as the biggest moment in Canberra's cricket history, and the ACT government is set to inject between $3-$10 million to upgrade Manuka during the next two years.

Canberra will host New Zealand in a one-day international on December 6 and another 50-over match in 2017-18 before the focus switches to Test cricket.

Sutherland hasn't ruled out the chance of Canberra hosting a day-night Test match and Barr said the government would invest in stadium amenities, player and media facilities and replay screens to get Manuka Oval up to standard.

"This won't be a one-off, Canberra will be a part of the cricket summer ongoing now. In the years where there are six Test matches, I'd think we're a pretty good chance [of getting games]," Barr said.

"We're making the biggest announcement in cricket history in the ACT ... we are delighted that this venue has been selected for a Test match.

"We've been working on this for a number of years now ... the ACT government will fund a number of improvements to Manuka. Any unsolicited proposals for future development of Manuka are now pushed back until after the Test. Manuka cannot be a construction zone for that Test."

Sutherland said the Test would be a "carnival week" for Canberra. The fixture will replace Hobart on the Test-match calendar for the 2018-19 season.

"We have [scheduled] international content [in Canberra] and repeatedly the people of Canberra have responded," Sutherland said.

"We've seen amazing attendances for games that don't even involve Australia. The message is clear - Canberra is an international cricket venue and today's announcement about Test cricket is something that Canberra deserves."

Asked if Canberra's Test could be a day-night fixture, Sutherland said: "I wouldn't put anything out of the questions in terms of day-night Test cricket. We'll see more in the future. There's no reason with these fantastic lights [at Manuka] that it can't be something Canberra can aspire to."

New Zealand will play a three-match Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series against Australia in December, with the middle game scheduled for Manuka Oval as part of the Australian men's team summer schedule announced Wednesday morning.

The Test will replace Canberra's ODI for the 2018-19 summer in the four-year agreement between the ACT government and Cricket Australia to hold international cricket in the capital.

It could affect the roll-out of Greater Western Sydney's unsolicited bid for a proposed $800 million Manuka Oval redevelopment, delaying any developments or construction until after the 2018-19 Test if the project is given the green light..

"There has been talk of one day Canberra might host Test cricket, and this reflects the journey for Canberra, for the venue and the future for international cricket here," Barr said.

"The continued success of events here and strong optimism for the future indicates Canberra will take its place in the Australian summer.

"We intend to capitalise on that. The very clear message from me is that this precinct can't be a construction zone during the Test match. The work we need to undertake in the venue will be done in a timely manner."

Along with the Test, Cricket ACT will get another boost with a $6.5 million indoor cricket centre planned at Phillip, which will include 16 turf wickets and four indoor ones.

Cricket ACT chairman Ian McNamee has been working with Cricket Australia for years in a bid to get a Test to Canberra.

"I think most of the fighting came from the Chief Minister, who has been great for what he has provided for Canberra," McNamee said.

"We've had a lot of advances over the years to get cricket here, and we always felt a Test was going to be another issue.

"I'm involved in the Cricket Australia one-team policy. We're not competing with other areas, that's not what we're about."