Canberra Stadium cuts price of pies, chips and drinks for Raiders and Brumbies games

ACT Sport Minister Yvette Berry will announce the new-look prices on Thursday morning ahead of the ACT Brumbies' first home game of the year on Saturday night.

The government has been locked in discussions with the Brumbies and Canberra Raiders to find ways to get supporters back in the stands at a time when the cost of living keeps going up.

Both clubs are desperate for a major stadium revamp and are part of a group of Canberra's industry leaders who have been lobbying the government to revive hope of building a new venue in Civic.

The reality is both clubs know Canberra Stadium will be their home for at least the next decade given the time needed to for planning, funding and construction of a new home irrespective of location.

Will cutting the costs of pies, chips, sausage rolls, hot dogs and soft drinks solve crowd issues, particularly for the Brumbies? No, and it's similar to a cost-cutting move seven years ago.

But it is a starting point and removes one of the several hurdles that professional teams face in luring fans off the couch and into the stands.

The Brumbies will road test the cheaper food prices at their clash against the Queensland Reds this weekend before the Raiders return to town to host the Cronulla Sharks next weekend.

The cost of a pie will drop to $4.50, making it almost half the price of a premium pie ($8.50) at the new Sydney Football Stadium and $2 cheaper than the equivalent.

The across-the-board $1 drop of the most purchased items has been on the radar for the past month, while television screens around the ground will be upgraded and a new video screen for the northern end is expected to arrive in the middle of the year.

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"We want to make sure it's still affordable and fun for families to get along to the footy this year," Berry said.

The future stadium debate was reignited last year when ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said his new preference was to redevelop Canberra Stadium - which is owned by the Australian Sports Commission - rather than pursuing an option to build in the city.

Canberra's business, hospitality, convention and tourism leaders formed a consortium to deliver a new stadium and convention centre precinct blueprint to the ACT and federal governments in the hope of securing funding.

That work is still going on behind the scenes, and the potential of Canberra securing an A-League Men's licence is helping push it along. But for now, the government, Brumbies and Raiders want to make Canberra Stadium an attractive destination.

The creation of "The Huddle" entertainment zone behind the Meninga Stand is aimed at eliminating criticism of the lack of pre and post-game atmosphere around the stadium.

The area will include live music, a bar and food options, as well as a big screen for before, during and after the matches.

The Brumbies have been working to try to re-engage with their fan base after watching crowd numbers dwindle over the past decade.

Coach Stephen Larkham has overhauled the team's training roster to make community activities a priority, scrapping the traditional captain's run session the day before a game to instead visit schools, shopping malls and businesses.

So far the Brumbies are flying high, winning their first two games on the road before returning home and chief executive Phil Thomson welcomed the cheaper food options and attempt to create game-day atmosphere.

"We've been meeting with the government on a regular basis thinking about what we can do to assist families and all spectators who come to the game, just so we can reduce the cost a little bit," Thomson said.

"These are some of those initiatives and hopefully every little bit helps. Things are tight for everyone at the moment and [sport] is a discretionary spend for families and individuals.

"It's hard to gauge numbers at the moment, but we're very, very hopeful the work we've done through November to January in the community within the region will help. We've got a good supporter base and we've started with two wins, so hopefully there's a good crowd to support us this weekend."

OPENING GAMES AT CANBERRA STADIUM

Saturday: ACT Brumbies v Queensland Reds, 7.35pm

March 19: Canberra Raiders v Cronulla Sharks, 6.15pm.