Liberal Senator Zed Seselja is lobbying for an upgrade at Viking Park, which could cater for men's and women's soccer and rugby union, as well as filling a mid-sized gap in the Canberra venue market.

But federal funding for the project would likely directly compete with the ACT government's desire to build a new 25,000 capacity stadium in Civic.

Neither proposal has funding attached to what have been described as "thought bubbles", while the AIS Arena is still shut with no plans to reopen despite the Canberra Capitals being forced to move finals games to Tuggeranong this season.

But an expected tight Senate election battle in Canberra has reignited the stadium conversation, with Raiders coach Ricky Stuart backing the plans to improve Canberra's sporting facilities but lamenting a lack of action.

"We need as many first-class sporting facilities as we can possible have in Canberra," Stuart said.

"...I don't know where we're all at with [a Civic stadium]. It doesn't look like there's very much momentum in regards to a new stadium here, which is disappointing because we're the capital city of Australia and we've probably got the worst stadium.

"The [Canberra Stadium] surface is as good as any surface we play on, but we do need a new complex, a new stadium, convention centre, something for Canberra in the middle of the city.

"It's all been said before, it just needs action."

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Brumbies coach Dan McKellar added: "A new stadium is going to change the city. Not for the Raiders, the Brumbies or an A-League team. It just brings events.

"It would change Canberra for the positive, for the years to come. You look at the great stadiums of the world ... it's not just a game of footy, it's an experience and an event.

"It's a no-brainer, if I was a politician, the one thing I'd be wanting to do would be to leave a legacy and that's a pretty big legacy."

Seselja has been working with the Vikings Group to fund a major redevelopment of the rugby fields, with plans for new grandstands and facilities and a view to hosting professional and semi-professional sport.

Viking Park was already home to Canberra United for the A-League women's season, while the Canberra Vikings played their National Rugby Championship games at the venue.

The ACT government said it would consider co-funding the Viking Park project if it was given a business case.

"As far as the ACT government is aware, there is no funding agreement from the Commonwealth to upgrade Viking Park and there are no confirmed commitments from the Liberal Party" a spokesperson said.

"Any co-funding arrangement for infrastructure investment between the Commonwealth and the ACT government would be required to go through a standard budget process.

"We would need to see more detail on the proposal. If the business case stacks up, it could be considered in future ACT budgets."

The ACT government has spent the past decade working on plans to move away from Canberra Stadium at Bruce, and did a feasibility report last year on new site options at Civic and Exhibition Park.

But there has been no funding commitment and the timeline has been regularly pushed back, with ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr citing the Mr Fluffy expenses, the light-rail project and COVID-19 costs as reasons for delays.

The Federal government is also yet to make a decision about the future of the AIS precinct, which includes the arena and the stadium.

The arena was closed two years ago because of safety issues and there are no plans to reopen it for events even after it stops being a COVID vaccination hub.

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