Canberra's A-League snub has sparked fears about the potential of building a new stadium with a roof in Civic after the ACT government said soccer was a crucial part of making the $400 million project viable.
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The capital's bid to join the national competition was put on ice again on Thursday when the Football Federation Australia opted to added extra teams in Sydney and Melbourne.
The Canberra bid is clinging to the hope of being part of the next expansion push, or joining the competition if the Wellington Phoenix fail to meet metrics to keep its place in the A-League.
A Canberra team would have played games at Canberra Stadium and had planned to build a $30 million soccer hub at Mt Stromlo or Gungahlin.
They were also key factor to convincing Chief Minister Andrew Barr's to pull the trigger on a new rectangular venue in Civic, which would be home to NRL, Super Rugby and A-League fixtures.
Barr has previously said A-League and summer content was important to ensuring there was maximum use of a new stadium to justify the significant cost.
Asked how the FFA's snub would affect the stadium plans, Barr said: "No immediate impact. A new or upgraded stadium remains part of the ten year infrastructure plan for the city.
"However, it is acknowledged that the absence of a third major user hurts the business case for a new stadium or a major redevelopment of Canberra Stadium."
Canberra A-League bid leader Michael Caggiano was confident the capital would gain entry to the competition in the future years to make a Civic stadium feasible.
"What we put forward and what we've agreed with everyone hasn't changed, if anything there's more certainty," Caggiano said. "The FFA has firmly said Canberra is still on the agenda for expansion."
The government had agreed to give the A-League team $1.2 million per season as part of a deal to play games in Canberra.
"[Missing out on an A-League licence was] not an unexpected, but still disappointing, outcome," Barr said.
"Sadly, we have been through this before, but it is not a reflection on the quality of Canberra’s bid. The bid committee did an exception job on behalf of Canberra’s football fans."
The ACT Brumbies and Canberra Raiders desperately want to reinvigorate the capital's sporting venue landscape and see a new stadium as a chance to lure fans back to the stands.
The government will invest in a new big screen for the 2020 NRL and Super Rugby seasons. The government is also waiting to hear from Sport Australia about the possible acquisition of Canberra Stadium.
Sport Australia, a federal government body, could sell Canberra Stadium to the ACT government to generate revenue and offload assets at the AIS campus in Bruce.
The government is also investigating ways to continually upgrade Manuka Oval, with plans to build a roof over seating to provide better weather protection from the sun and rain.
