Civic stadium hopes could get boost from Anthony Albanese Hobart vision

The federal government is poised to announce $240 million in funding for a new oval stadium in Hobart as early as this weekend, paving the way for Tasmania to be granted a licence to join the AFL.

The ACT government, Canberra's federal politicians and influential industry leaders have been waiting for Albanese unveil his plans in the hope it will aid the capital's bid to securing Commonwealth infrastructure funding.

Albanese said Hobart's stadium cash was a good investment because it connects the city to the Derwent River, which is the same vision behind a proposal to build a stadium in Civic.

Having a stadium on the shores of the lake was also part of Walter Burley Griffin's plans for Canberra in 1912, and it was also a key element behind ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr's plans to build a venue on the site of the Civic pool in his City to the Lake document.

Barr's plans, however, have changed in the past 12 months after he made a "captain's call" to scrap the Civic option and instead push ahead with a refurbishment of Canberra Stadium, or investing in a new rectangular stadium at on vacant land next to the existing venue.

But Albanese's reasoning for giving $240 million to Hobart as part of a $715 million revamp of the Macquarie Point location will give Civic dreamers hope again.

"My government has been engaging with the Tasmanian government about urban redevelopment on the site of Macquarie Point," Albanese said on Wednesday.

"That shouldn't come as a surprise. In 2012, myself as infrastructure minister, put $50 million into that site for its remediation. This site will connect the city of Hobart to the Derwent River.

"Hobart is an extraordinarily beautiful city, but at the moment Macquarie Point sits there as a bit of an eyesore. It's completely underutilised."

Senator David Pocock is pushing Albanese and Barr to commit to a "city deal" of Commonwealth funding for major projects, including a stadium and convention centre in the city.

Member for Canberra Alicia Payne has also launched an inquiry into better ways to promote the capital to the rest of Australia, adding sport to the terms of references for the first time.

Albanese's Tasmania commitment, Pocock's push and Payne's inquiry have set the stage for intense stadium discussion in Canberra as Barr moves ahead with his plans to form a partnership with the Australian Sports Commission.

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Barr hopes to sign a memorandum of understanding with the commission to work together on a rebuild of the federal-government owned Canberra Stadium, or construction of a new venue at the AIS site in Bruce.

Others still want Barr to consider the Civic pool site as an option to create a joint precinct with a convention centre and connect sporting and events to the city.

Pocock and a group of 35 industry leaders will use the same argument for the ageing Civic Pool, which Barr wants to move to make way for an indoor concert arena or development.

A convention centre and stadium project would cost more than $1 billion and needs the federal government to fund the majority to have any chance of being a viable option.

Pocock has pointed to historic under-investment from the federal government in Canberra, citing city deals in every other state worth a combined total of more than $10 billion while the capital has been left waiting.

"It's time for Canberra and the ACT region to have one of these partnerships that can help set us up. We're a growing city. We're the fastest growing capital city. And it makes sense," Pocock said earlier this month.

Payne's inquiry, meanwhile, will trigger a push for Barr to delay signing an MOU with the sports commission until the findings are tabled in the coming months.

It's understood the NRL has been preparing a submission before the May 5 deadline to make a case for federal funding for a stadium in the city.

It's unclear if Barr has reached out to Albanese to see if a city deal for Canberra can be struck, but he will have an opportunity when the prime minister hosts a national cabinet meeting on Friday.

"What I've said is that if we can use [Macquarie Point] for recreational activity or housing for private sector investment, for urban redevelopment in order to improve economic activity in Tasmania, in order to create jobs both during construction and in the longer term, by having a centre that can bring jobs and events to Tasmania, then that's a positive thing," Albanese said.

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