Federal government budget opens door for new Canberra stadium funding

Canberra Stadium has only been sitting there for the past 20 years or so without any major federal investment in an asset it owns.

Is it any surprise the roof might leak, the change rooms need updating to avoid female athletes getting dressed in the car park or that Canberra sporting fans would like to be protected from rain?

Still, this isn't a whack at Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, Treasurer Jim Chalmers or Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as they prepare to announce their full budget plans on Tuesday, despite years of neglect.

The truth is this federal budget has smashed the door open like we've never known in 14 years of grand ideas and political delays.

A week or so after ducking and weaving the question about whether Canberra should get the same stadium support as Tasmania, Gallagher is publicly on board.

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"What we're looking to do is embark on a formal process around how we resolve some of those things," she said.

And there it is. The invitation ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr has been waiting for. The opportunity Canberra needs to redevelop its ageing and worn-out sporting infrastructure.

Barr has already been speaking to Gallagher and Albanese about the future of the AIS precinct, including the AIS Arena and Canberra Stadium. Now he needs to deliver something tangible.

Because while it's easy to lay blame at the feet of the federal government - as Barr has done for most of the past decade, citing a lack of cooperation from up on the hill - the reality is it is up to the ACT government to come up with a plan.

A plan, you say? How could we not have a plan yet? Surely there's a plan somewhere buried in Barr's top drawer.

He's got a few. Whether it be the grand designs of the initial overhaul floated in 2009, or the Civic stadium with a roof he raised in 2011 or 2012, or now his vision to rebuild the existing Canberra Stadium site.

So when Gallagher says, "No one has come to us and said, 'This is our proposal for a stadium and here is what we want'," it's only sort of true.

Because Barr, Gallagher, Albanese, every ACT Assembly member and several federal politicians received a detailed plan at the end of last year, disproving Barr's theory for why a stadium wouldn't fit in Civic and outlining ways for the federal and ACT governments to work together.

What Gallagher means is Barr hasn't come to the federal government with a plan and said: "This is our proposal for a stadium and here is what we want."

The time to do that is now. And given the federal government's willingness to engage, Barr should push for the grandest of all plans first in Civic and if that falls flat, defer to rebuilding Canberra Stadium (or building a new one on the vacant land to the east of the existing venue).

Because whichever side of the debate you sit on, the conversation is now real and at its most critical juncture. It has to move beyond the ACT government thought-bubble stage and be a real proposal with dollars, timelines, economic impact studies and all the bells and whistles.

If the federal government drags the chain on the AIS site, which is rumoured to be happening as Queensland politicians renew a push for more facilities in the Sunshine State ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games, then go all-in at Civic.

"When the ducks line up, when the business cases are done, when the requests are formally made ... we want to be at the table with the ACT government," Gallagher said.

So what are we waiting for? On the surface, Barr and ACT Sport Minister Yvette Berry have said there will be movement soon as they negotiate with the Australian Sports Commission about a joint initiative at the AIS.

There's also a senate inquiry about to happen, which will examine - among other things - how sport can promote the capital and the infrastructure needed to do that. There's a push for Barr to delay signing a deal with the commission until the inquiry finishes.

All signs point to the stadium debate becoming a key point of the ACT election next year. But whatever happens, the city shouldn't let another federal budget go by without funding for a stadium.

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