Tent city: ACT government considers $2.5 million pop-up tent as short-term replacement for AIS Arena

The Canberra Times can reveal the ACT government has drawn up a list of short-term solutions to cater for indoor sports, concerts and exhibitions after the AIS Arena was closed two years ago.

The ACT and Federal governments are at an impasse over the future of the arena, with neither willing to invest the money required to get it back to normal operation when it finishes as a COVID vaccination hub.

There is genuine concern the arena may never be operational for events again after the 41-year-old venue was closed indefinitely in 2020.

The ACT has so far failed to act on a solution, but is investigating a convention centre expansion, a new standalone facility or working with the University of Canberra to build a centre of excellence.

Those are being considered as long-term projects, but the government has also made contact with Victorian-based "event tent specialists" Unique Attractions about a short-term fix.

The company's smaller pop-up tents are already being used in Canberra for the Folk Festival and Groovin the Moo, but the bigger options have been most recently used in Perth for fashion week.

Exhibition Park has been identified as a ready-to-go site and the two tents available can be set up and operational within six weeks, with the cost to purchase to be about $2.5 million.

Use in Canberra, however, would be at least six months away with officials needing to complete a business case, lay an appropriate cement or asphalt base at EPIC and build supporting infrastructure.

The government said it delayed making an arena decision in the hope the Australian Sports Commission and Federal government would announce plans for the future of the AIS precinct and invest in the arena.

But the Commonwealth doesn't want to pay the $5 million needed for safety upgrades to open the arena again given it is not considered "core purpose", and the ACT doesn't want to pay for improvements at a venue it doesn't own.

ACT Sport Minister Yvette Berry says her federal counterpart has refused to engage in dialogue, while the Canberra Capitals lashed the government this week for a lack of action.

"Ideally we want the arena back on as that short term, medium-term solution," Berry said.

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"It's just been unfortunate that these situations have arisen where we've got a international health pandemic, the federal government chose to close the AIS with no notice to the ACT or any of the users of the arena.

"And we're now in this situation we find ourselves in where the Capitals don't have a home."

The Capitals vented their frustration this week after it was revealed they may be forced to move WNBL finals matches to Wollongong because of booking clashes at the convention centre, claiming the problem would have been resolved by now had men's sport been involved.

The ACT government has already had to cancel a deal with Super Netball because the convention centre is too small for the court, while concerts and shows have been moved to the smaller Canberra Theatre or convention centre.

The AIS standoff started two years ago when the arena was shut because of fire safety concerns. It has been closed since, but reopened as a COVID vaccination hub last year. The government had to pay for temporary lighting to ensure it met safety guidelines.

But the arena is also in need of a major facelift to make it user friendly for sports and events, with a more significant makeover expected to cost more than $30 million.

The uncertainty is putting pressure on the government to act to avoid the Capitals being homeless again, and to reinvigorate the territory's live events scene.

"Had we known that the arena was going to close then we would have been in a different position than we are now, but it was closed pretty much overnight with no notice to us. And we've found ourselves in the situation that we're in," Berry said.

"From the start, there has always been this issue around what are the actual repairs required [at the arena] and what's going to be the cost. I'm as frustrated as everybody else that the Capitals have lost their home, with no notice and with no other option for them to play.

"So we'll work with [the Capitals] through the final series to see how we can support them to do and be the very best that they can."

The two temporary tent solutions - the grand pyramid and the stadium tent - can be configured to have a stage or sporting-style seating with a court in the middle. They also have broadcast-quality lighting and air conditioning - something the AIS Arena lacks.

The stadium tent can be set up within two weeks, and the grand pyramid would take longer at six weeks.

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