'Now's not the time': Why Andrew Barr's $1b Canberra stadium claim is disingenuous

Anyone who read the Chief Minister's post-ACT budget comments on Wednesday would have sworn the idea of a new rectangular stadium in Canberra was something he'd always detested.

That's why fans and professional teams are so confused. Thirteen years after Barr first floated the need for a new stadium, he's now comparing his stadium brainwave to a space port or second airport in Canberra.

In the same breath he described the stadium as a $1 billion project, almost double the price of what the ACT government's own feasibility report suggests.

He clarified the sentiment on Thursday, saying the comparison alone was out of context and was made to highlight "not every piece of infrastructure is essential". He said the billion-dollar estimate was "not a literal quote", just made to illustrate a point.

But after more than a decade of old ideas, new ideas and minimal movement, it's hard to see the finish line.

The comments came across as disingenuous at best, and hostile at worst. Why all of a sudden is the idea of a stadium relegated to the thought-bubble files?

The stadium issue became genuine federal election talking point earlier this year. David Pocock v Zed Seselja, others offering their two centrs and a captive audience eager to hear all sides.

That seemed like the perfect opportunity to seize the moment. Finally, it seemed, there was some momentum. Instead, the ACT has seemingly hit the brakes.

It was only 16 months ago the government published its feasibility study for new stadium options in Canberra - with a 25,000 seat venue options canvassed for EPIC and the Civic Pool site.

Barr contradicted that report in June when said the Civic Pool site's size restrictions would limit the capacity to 20,000.

To then suggest the costs have jumped by almost $400 million - as a throwaway line or not - when both EPIC and Civic were priced at between $580-$650 million missed the mark.

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"Now is not the time to pitch for a new space port for a Canberra or a second airport, or a $2 billion convention centre or a $1 billion football stadium," Barr said on Wednesday, adding the stadium was considered "nice to have" rather than essential.

"There's no room for that. We will look at those infrastructure assets and make a prudent decision about the best way forward and the timing for such things."

It raised eyebrows for people who weren't in the room at the Canberra Business Chamber event. Barr clarified on Thursday.

"It was to make a rhetorical point. A billion-dollar stadium would be larger than what we are proposing and would probably have a moveable roof and a whole range of things like that," he said.

"That was not a literal quote on the price of a stadium, but to illustrate the point.

"Equally we don't have a space-port proposal before us, but simply making the point that not every piece of infrastructure is essential and that we would not be making allocations of very large scale, new infrastructure in this budget just past.

"And as I have said I think about 30 times over the last couple of years, to try and set realistic expectations so that I don't get in every single press conference a question about where the stadium is, for people not to expect it to be imminently announced because it's not going to be."

Trying to temper expectations is understandable, especially given the latest update says the project is at least two years away from any further movement. But in many respects, that horse has bolted several times over the years.

Likening the stadium to a second airport or space port, even if tongue in cheek, adds to the fears many have about the project going nowhere for another 10 years.

No one in Canberra is suggesting money be ripped away from the hospital or essential services. They simply want a firm plan. Something locked in that the city can move towards.

The stadium war in Sydney this week has thrust public spending on sporting infrastructure back into the spotlight, especially with a NSW election looming.

It should remind Barr and his government building a stadium is only going to get more expensive and harder to approve the longer it drags on.

In the time since Barr first revealed plans for a stadium overhaul in Canberra, new venues have been proposed, built and opened in Townsville, Perth and Sydney (the Sydney Football Stadium and Parramatta) as well as major upgrades in Adelaide and Melbourne, while Tasmania prepares to build one of its own before there's any movement in the capital.

Barr has given his strongest indication yet he will remain in charge for the next ACT election, so it seems time is on his side in terms of being able to deliver.

But you can understand why the ACT Brumbies and Canberra Raiders were scratching their heads on Thursday. They've been talking with Barr and the ACT Labor party since 2009 about the potential of a new stadium.

They continued to play at Canberra Stadium - owned by the federal government and rented for use by the ACT government - as the venue limps along without major investment, and will continue to do so.

The latest study says there will be a six-year timeline from the start of planning to grand opening, with a 42-month period required for construction. EPIC and Civic are both do-able with 25,000 seats, and starting the process sooner rather than later could save the government almost $70 million.

No one was surprised there was no stadium announcement in the 2022-23 budget. Barr had flagged as much and has continually moved to temper expectations.

Mr Fluffy costs, the light rail project, COVID-19 expenses and The Canberra Hospital improvements have all impacted the stadium prospects over the years. The timeline has moved from the late 2010s to the early 2020s, then to mid-2020s and now back to 2030s.

A change of federal government was seen as one of the final hurdles to deal with the AIS precinct and Canberra Stadium ownership issues.

Having Labor in charge of the Commonwealth could pave the way for the Federal government to waive the capital's housing debt, contribute to Mr Fluffy costs or gift their ACT counterparts land at the AIS - speculated to be worth up to $300 million - that is no longer considered fit for purpose at the institute.

To be fair, it has only been three months since Labor has taken the reins at Parliament House. Barr's commentary does suggest, though, that it's going to be slow going again.

They say a week is a long time in politics (or sport). It's no wonder 13 years feels like a lifetime.

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