A private consortium is behind a new push to fast-track plans for a stadium with a roof in Civic as the Australian Institute of Sport prepares to sell land to downsize its 64-hectare footprint in Bruce.
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Fairfax Media understands the Australian Sports Commission and AIS have all but committed to reducing the size of its Canberra campus as part of a wider restructure of the organisations.
The move will likely see the ACT government buy Canberra Stadium, with an option to rezone and redevelop the highly sought-after land for apartments or residential buildings in the future.
The commission has finished an asset audit and it's understood there was a valuation of the buildings on site.
The changes hinges on the National Sport Plan, which has been continually delayed but is expected to be unveiled by the federal government in June. Selling the AIS land could give Australian sport a multimillion dollar injection.
Commission chief executive Kate Palmer said officials were keen to shape the AIS as a "critical next step" and maintain a training base for national teams and athletes.
"Our plan is to revitalise the site. At the moment we have 11 national sporting training centres on site at the [AIS] and it isn't world class," Palmer said.
"Our ambition and our plan is to have world class, high-performance infrastructure. What that looks like and how we go about that is really a [federal] government decision.
"But we're consulting on that. We want a multi-disciplinary team on campus so that we can serve the needs of sports, elite camps ... to see it continue and to grow."
Fairfax Media can also reveal details have emerged of a private group keen to ensure Canberra's premier sporting teams - the ACT Brumbies and Canberra Raiders - do not suffer by playing at an ageing venue.
It's understood leading Canberra sports officials have seen plans for a private-public partnership stadium as the group prepares to lobby the government to begin a tender process. It's not clear if the plans involve acquiring land on the site of the Civic pool or a knockdown of the existing Canberra Stadium.
The group's strategy will likely include a convention centre in Civic and officials are keen to ensure it differs from the unsolicited Manuka Oval development bid that was rejected two years ago.
The government spends $350,000 per year to rent Canberra Stadium, which is owned by the commission and is on federal government land.
The commission and institute, both federal government bodies, are preparing for massive changes to align with the National Sport Plan. The organisations share 35 buildings on 64 hectares of land at Bruce.
The AIS is committed to a future in Canberra, but the vision for a world-class facility is unlikely to include Canberra Stadium, the AIS Arena or one of the AIS pools.
The federal government has reportedly scrapped plans for a national sports lottery, which was to generate money for elite national teams and athletes. One of the other avenues to generate revenue is to sell the under-utilised parts of the AIS campus.
The insitute is believed to be keen to retain an athletics track and outdoor fields for multi-purpose use, including soccer. It is hoped the new look will attract more teams and athletes.
The ACT Academy of Sport will also remain on site at the institute, as well as basketball and volleyball centre of excellence programs.
The commission, however, is less likely to be keen to retain Canberra Stadium. The state of the stadium has been a bugbear for the Brumbies and Raiders for years and it is one of the worst spectator venues in both the NRL and Super Rugby.
It is hoped a new stadium with a roof, which was first slated by ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr seven years ago, will help lure fans back to the stands.
The cost of the Mr Fluffy loose-fill asbestos clean up has delayed any developments on a new stadium.
Brumbies average crowds have dipped to their lowest in 20 years and the Raiders are bracing for a host of home games during the winter months.
The stop-gap measure could be refurbishing Canberra Stadium until land and funding can support at stadium in Civic or a long-term plan to redevelop the current site and build apartments and restaurants around it.
"We're absolutely committed to working with the ACT government. But what it [the plan] looks like, we're probably only halfway through developing what it might look like," Palmer said.
