Does the bush capital really need a 21st century take on the Roman Colosseum?
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That is a question the ACT government may have been well advised to put to its residents and ratepayers before advancing as far down the track with discussions to revamp Manuka and its iconic oval as it has done.
The concerns expressed by, among others, members of the Kingston and Barton Residents Group and Inner South Canberra Community Council over the fact some stakeholders appear to have been more equal than others in the lead-up to this week's announcement are not without foundation.
The residents group's specific beef, that the ACT government has been actively discussing proposals with the Greater Western Sydney Giants and Grocon while withholding the master plan from the local community for almost two years, raises questions about equity and due process if true.
Questions also need to be asked about the wisdom, given the ACT government has a responsibility to follow best practice when it comes to managing public assets and money, of entering into apparently binding undertakings with private interests outside of an open and transparent tender process.
Yes, the GWS Giants are a major stakeholder and yes, Grocon, has considerable expertise in this type of development, but is that any reason to rule any other possible contenders out before they even have a chance to make a case?
The main issue, and one that should have been addressed with extensive community consultation at the outset, is that this $800 million spend will change the face of one of the ACT's better loved precincts forever; and not necessarily in a good way.
Seven-storey apartment blocks housing an additional two or three thousand people and a 300-bed hotel would be major additions to the existing Manuka mix.
So would the forecast influx of an additional 2260 workers into the suburb's central business district on a daily basis.
While it is true provision has been made for an additional 450 underground car parking spaces to meet the increase in commuter and shopper demand, this seems well short of what would actually be needed given the difficulties would-be Manuka pedestrians already experience in finding somewhere to leave the chariot.
While the precinct, in its current form, is not perfect, it is a place well loved by many Canberrans, and not just those who live there.
It would be a shame if the elements that give the area its unique character are placed at risk, or actually diminished, by an over-emphasis on commercial returns and the chance to deliver sporting infrastructure that is currently beyond the government's reach in any other way.
Manuka Oval's 90-year-old roots in the local community, which date back to rugby league and Australian rules football matches in the early and mid-1920s, have been well documented.
The process of improvement, which included the installation of the MCG's original scoreboard in the early 1980s, has generally been gradual and respectful of the wishes of the broader community.
Is there any reason to abandon what has been a winning formula at this late stage in the game?
