A parliamentary committee has added more weight to calls for the ACT government to support the construction of a new venue for the Canberra Capitals.
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The Legislative Assembly's standing committee on education and community inclusion has recommended the government support the construction of a new basketball arena.
The committee said resolving the long-running issues of venue availability for the elite women's team should be considered a priority.
"The committee is concerned that closure of the AIS has limited the availability of sports facilities for the Canberra Capitals," it said in its inquiry report on annual and financial reports.
"While the committee appreciates that the ACT government is negotiating with federal government on a solution to this issue, and that the University of Canberra plans to construct a basketball facility, it remains unclear whether facilities will be available in the ACT in the short to medium term."
A spokeswoman for the ACT government on Friday said the government welcomed the recommendations and would respond in due course.
The spokeswoman pointed to federal Labor's commitment to work with the territory government to deliver $15 million worth of upgrades to the Australian Institute of Sport arena, and improve the precinct's amenity.
ACT Sports Minister Yvette Berry had told the committee's inquiry resolving the venue issue had been a "long and tiresome journey".
The venue issue came to a head when the Australian Institute of Sport arena was mothballed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, amid safety concerns.
The venue has been used as a mass vaccination clinic for COVID-19 since September 2021, but will close next week ahead of upgrades and safety improvements that will allow it to reopen.
The previous federal government committed to upgrading and reopening the facility during the federal election campaign at a cost of $11.4 million. Federal Labor matched the commitment.
However, the Canberra Capitals have warned the facelift for the venue, which opened in 1981, was a "short-term solution".
The Canberra Capitals could call a new $50 million venue home in as little as two years at the University of Canberra, where a masterplan includes a four- to eight-court stadium.
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The new federal Labor government has committed to a $750,000 feasibility study for the venue.
Basketball ACT strongly criticised the ACT government after the October 2021 budget, arguing there was a lack of funding for community sport.
The organisation has faced a significant indoor court shortage amid renewed community enthusiasm for the sport.
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Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
