'Envious' Brumbies and Canberra Raiders set to meet ACT government about Civic stadium plans

Canberra's premier football teams will meet with government officials on Friday to seek clarity about the stadium issue after Chief Minister Andrew Barr killed off hopes of a Civic venue last week.

There is also a growing push among influential groups and businessmen to force Barr to put a stadium in the city back on the agenda despite his concerns about the project.

Brumbies chairman Matt Nobbs and Raiders chief executive Don Furner separately went to the new $830 million Sydney Football Stadium last weekend, which reinforced their concerns about Canberra's plans.

Barr has been pushing for a stadium revamp for the past 13 years, with most of those spent pursuing the chance to build a stadium in the city.

Four of the five government commissioned studies suggested Civic was the best location for a new venue, but Barr says to build on the site of the Civic pool is now too complicated and too expensive.

He has shifted his backing to a redevelopment at Bruce, which would see the government partner with the Australian Sports Commission to transform the 64 hectare AIS precinct.

But Nobbs and Furner are united in their desire to have the venue in Civic, and they are set to be supported by several Canberra groups who see the value of a centrally-located stadium to boost economic activity.

"There's not a bad seat in the house at Sydney," Nobbs said after knocking back seats in a corporate suite to sit in the stands with punters at the Wallabies' Test.

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"You're right on top of the field, everything was easy. There's not a seat that is out in the open and it is something people will travel to.

"It's going to be interesting to see how many people from Canberra go up there when we play the Waratahs, or if they just go for events and sports.

Furner, who was at the Rabbitohs v Roosters match 24 hours earlier, said: "It's an unbelievable stadium that's going to set them up for the next 20 or 30 years.

"We're very envious that they have those facilities and they will attract events.

People from Canberra and in this region will travel up to Sydney to go to events, make a weekend of it and spend their money there. For the NRL, for the Wallabies Test match, for concerts. All of that spend is going to be in Sydney."

A government feasibility study into the location of a new stadium confirmed Civic as the preferred location, but said compromises would have to be made to the design process.

It was revealed last week the government estimated the cost of moving Parkes Way would cost up to $140 million, while relocating the pool would be an extra $60 million hit before starting construction.

Barr said the government would have to foot the bill for moving Parkes Way, but the road has been added to a Commonwealth priority project list for future upgrades.

The sports commission, a federal government agency, has spent the past five or six years investigating ways to reinvigorate the AIS, with one option considering cutting the 64 hectares in half and selling infrastructure including Canberra Stadium and the AIS Arena to the ACT government.

The Brumbies and Raiders fear their preference will be overlooked for a cheaper and easier option instead of giving Canberra a "national stadium".

The federal government is considering funding a stadium project in Hobart, and has previously invested in a Townsville redevelopment, but it is unclear if the ACT has approached their Commonwealth counterparts with a request for financial assistance.

Brumbies chief executive Phil Thomson said: "Hopefully we can have a productive meeting [on Friday] and we can find out what the government has been thinking.

"And then what the implications of that are for us as an organisation, and the Raiders, in the short term, medium term and long term."

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