Answering questions from Canberra's business community after his "state of the territory" address on Thursday, Mr Barr said the government would make progressive investments to the site, following a community backlash over the GWS Giants and Grocon's unsolicited bid to transform the precinct.

"In my reading of the community response to that [unsolicited bid] is that in this city there is a preference for government to lead procurement processes rather than having unsolicited ones be seen to drive how government might go about procuring a certain outcome, particularly as it pertains to public assets," Mr Barr said.

"I think that is the preference across the community generally and broadly speaking the better approach in that instance would be for the government to have gone to the market seeking expressions of interest to redevelop the facility and we would have then shaped the nature of the redevelopment."

Mr Barr said the government's approach to revitalising the Manuka facilities now would be "progressive development" rather than a "big bang change".

"What you'll see over the next three or four years over the lead up to the test match and then beyond towards the 2020 World Cup that will be held in Australia, we'll make progressive investments to improve the infrastructure at the venue," Mr Barr said.

However he ruled out residential developments in the precinct as part of the upgrades.

"The substantive issues that related to Manuka were the level of non stadium development that would be used to finance the public infrastructure development in new grandstands and facilities at the venue," Mr Barr said.

"We're not proposing residential development to surround Manuka Oval, so our approach to market would not include a residential development."

In Mr Barr's annual "state of the territory" address, he outlined his ambitions for Canberra towards 2020, building on our status as a knowledge capital and a liveable city.

He announced Canberra businesses would be coached how to sell to an international audience under a new partnership between the ACT government and the Canberra Business Chamber.

A spokesman for Mr Barr said, "The ACT government will provide funding to the Canberra Business Chamber in this financial year to run a mentoring and workshop program aimed at making the most of international trade opportunities for local businesses.

"We expect this program to be up and running in the near future. We encourage any local businesses interested in making the most of this opportunity to contact the Canberra Business Chamber."

Mr Barr also called on developers to design buildings for Canberra's boulevards that would win awards and get people talking "decades after we are gone".

"Let's aspire to build something we're proud of, not just something that ticks the development boxes," Mr Barr said.

"That is my call to the development industry and everyone who is involved. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rejuvenate the gateway of the national capital of the best country in the world. Take this opportunity and win awards for what you do."