Federal government AIS silence tells a sad story of sporting neglect

Perhaps that's why it was so surprising the federal government opted to remain silent when questioned this week about the future of the AIS campus and whether it would remain in Canberra.

Both Sport Minister Anika Wells and Infrastructure Minister Catherine King declined to comment when asked about a $1 billion proposal to move Australia's sporting hub to south-east Queensland.

Government officials will say timing is everything, and now isn't the right time to talk about the AIS with The Voice referendum looming and Ms King fending off questions about Qantas.

But everyone inside those weather-beaten buildings in Bruce knows all too well about timing. They spend their days searching for nanoseconds to make the difference in the pursuit of Olympic glory.

They spend hours working out the right mix of carbohydrates and protein, or altitude and heat, to give athletes a chance to achieve their dreams.

And for almost 10 years they've been waiting for an answer to a simple question: how do we make the AIS great again?

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The answer is money. The Australian Sports Commission has done all the necessary work to investigate relocation to Queensland, decentralisation around Australia and remaining on the 64-hectare site at Bruce.

The preferred, and cheapest, option is to remain in Canberra. That would require a $200 million investment as opposed to anywhere from $600 million to $1 billion for the others.

It seems like a no-brainer to make a fast decision to invest in upgrading existing AIS facilities with a view to having an impact for those who will compete at the Brisbane Olympics in 2032. And there's no way a government could justify spending $1 billion on an AIS relocation when Australian athletes are struggling to make a living.

But instead of answers, we get silence. It has become the easy federal government option when it comes to any significant Canberra infrastructure issues.

AIS masterplans and business cases have been shuffled across the desks of sport ministers since 2016. Does anyone remember the radical plan to turn the AIS Arena into a "Volleydome"?

Sussan Ley, Greg Hunt, Bridget McKenzie, Richard Colbeck and now Wells have all fumbled about with the issue of the AIS during the day and then rubbed shoulders with sporting royalty at World Cups and grand finals at night.

They've all seen the plans and then ignored them, or flipped them into the too-hard basket.

The problem with making a significant funding pledge to reinvigorate the AIS is that it doesn't fit the election cycle. Construction will take several years, and we won't see tangible results of the revamp for even longer.

It's time for that to change, and not necessarily in a parochial Canberra kind of way.

If the best decision for Australia's Olympic and world champion ambitions is that the AIS be moved to Queensland, then so be it. Queensland officials have been driving that line of thought for several years, pointing to the Sunshine State as a more desirable location that will attract more athletes than Canberra in the middle of a chilly winter.

But if, as the sports commission has pointed to in its assessment of options, investing in existing facilities will get quicker and better results while spending less money, then it seems pretty clear cut.

The fact Infrastructure Minister King is involved hints that this is still a live issue for the Anthony Albanese-led government. The fact she opted not to comment on the $1 billion proposal for Queensland raised plenty of eyebrows in the halls of the AIS, but it is hoped there's good news on the way soon.

Sports commission and AIS chief executive Kieren Perkins is pushing ahead with some elements of his vision anyway. The institute unveiled plans for a new $4 million altitude house for up to 22 athletes this week to replace the room they've been using for more than 20 years.

There have also been upgrades at the basketball training hall, the accommodation and the sports science facilities.

Mr Perkins signed a memorandum of understanding with ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr earlier this year to work together on a plan to revamp the stadium, accommodation and precinct at Bruce.

The uncertainty at the AIS - and the federally-owned arena and stadium - has become a convenient (and in some ways acceptable) excuse for a lack of stadium action by the ACT government over the past 14 years.

In scrapping his own plan to build a stadium in Civic, Mr Barr said refurbishing the existing venue at Bruce was a critical piece of a plan to keep the AIS in Canberra.

Even so, he has been given no guarantee the AIS will remain in the capital and acknowledged there were "competing views as to whether relocating the facility to Queensland ahead of the Brisbane Olympics is a preferred pathway".

"The MOU allows the territory government and [commission] work on the future of the site, including the future of Canberra stadium and what can be done in the broader precinct," an ACT government spokesperson said on Wednesday.

"A study is currently being conducted to inform the way forward for the stadium. Following the stadium study, and the completion of further precinct planning work, the territory government's expectation is that we will partner with the Australian government in the delivery phase."

But for now now we wait - just like we have for several years, for a federal politician to make a brave decision. They don't need to pick up the paint brush to repair the damage, but they do need to end the silence.

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