David Pocock welcomes Zed Seselja's AIS Arena commitment, but says it's 'not the big issue' for Canberrans

The former Wallabies captain has joined ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr and federal Labor in welcoming the commitment to upgrade the unsafe and decommissioned 41-year-old indoor arena, which has been closed to sporting and live entertainment events since 2020. It has been used since September 2021 as a COVID-19 mass vaccination hub.

The AIS Arena upgrade is fully funded according to ACT Liberal senator Zed Seselja, with the money found after the 2022 budget but before the government entered caretaker mode. Senator Seselja said the reopening was important, but was not "on the agenda" two years ago. Federal Labor member for Fenner Andrew Leigh declared on Tuesday, "if we're elected, we'll match it. We will ensure that that money flows."

Mr Pocock, who backs a more splashy proposal for a world-class national convention centre and stadium complex as well as action on climate change and political integrity, welcomes the commitment to reopen the AIS Arena, but he says it should not be an election announcement.

"I think keeping the AIS Arena open or even doing maintenance works to Scrivener Dam shouldn't be 'announceables' and especially not during an election campaign," he told The Canberra Times.

"These are more like routine maintenance of infrastructure that's owned by the federal government. As a Canberran I want, and talking to other people across the ACT, we want and need a bigger vision for the ACT and action on the big issues we face and I don't think we have been seeing that."

"It'll be great to have the AIS Arena open again, but this is not the big issue. This is not one of the big issues that Canberrans want addressed."

Work is expected to begin within six months, and the AIS Arena is expected to reopen by the first half of next year, possibly sometime later this year. Remedial works will target lighting, fire safety systems, lifts, mechanical services and electrical systems. Stadium seating is also set to be replaced.

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The new federal funding for the AIS Arena bypasses stalled negotiations with the ACT government, with Senator Seselja stating it was not "really willing to come to the table". When the arena closed in June 2020, the ACT government accused the Morrison government of allowing the AIS Arena to deteriorate.

The move to reopen the arena would finally give a home back to the ACT's top national sporting team, the Canberra Capitals.

"As we've been saying in the Capitals space for the past few years, firstly it was a shock to us all when the AIS was closed literally a week after it was filled to the rafters for a Capitals championship game," UC director of sport and former Capitals coach Carrie Graf said.

"We certainly encourage this funding announcement and implore that funding to implement the works quickly so it's open in time for WNBL 2022-23."

Senator Seselja said the work was both rehabilitation and refurbishment, and insisted there was not an urgent push to fix the facility until recently.

"Well, I mean, two years ago, this wasn't on the agenda," he told The Canberra Times.

"I made the judgement that regardless of what the ACT government did, this was important."

Mr Barr on Tuesday morning said the funding announcement was a "start".

"It's a pity it took a hotly contested election campaign for this belated acceptance of the Commonwealth's responsibility for maintaining their own asset," he said.

But the Chief Minister said the ACT government wanted to have a broader conversation about the future Australian Institute of Sport precinct, which takes up a large parcel of land in Bruce.

Mr Barr told a Legislative Assembly inquiry in early March the arena would have a limited lifespan whether or not the federal government decided to sell the facility.

"[The ACT government] won't be buying a 40-year-old arena that's ultimately too small for our city's future needs," he said.