'We've never had this opportunity': ACT govt poised to take over AIS Arena operations

In a move that adds more weight to ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr's vision for a Bruce redevelopment, it can be revealed the government is locked in negotiations about how to best run the arena when it reopens later this year.

The Australian Sports Commission has opened the tender process to complete the required safety improvement work, which is expected to cost between $8-10m.

But there are bigger pieces moving in the background commission chief executive Kieren Perkins works to reinvigorate the 64-hectare campus, and Barr sets his sights on a long-term plan for Canberra Stadium.

The commission owns both the arena and the stadium. It leases the stadium to the government for sporting events, and some concerts or other events and it's understood the parties are close to finalising a similar agreement of the arena.

The details are part of a wider memorandum of understanding, which has been worked on for several months and is nearing the final stages of being agreed to.

"These are the kinds of conversations we're having with the sports commission around the AIS Arena and the stadium," said ACT Sport Minister Yvette Berry.

"There's a lot happening and it's positive. It's positive because we've never had this opportunity for at least a decade.

"So being able to have these positive conversations and about working on some innovative ways that we can work together, that's a new opportunity for us."

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On the surface it appears a minor change to the agreement given the arena was available for Canberra sporting fixtures, exhibitions, functions or concerts until it was shut indefinitely in early 2020.

But it's logistically significant and puts the government's Venues Canberra organisation in charge of trying to attract more touring acts and events to the city.

The commission ran the arena booking system, meaning teams like the Canberra Capitals or GWS Giants netball team had to book through them rather than the government. Taking bookings for a multi-purpose venue is no longer seen as core business for the commission or AIS, which has opened the door for a new agreement with the government.

The arena is expected to come back online by the end of the year, making it available for select games during the 2023-24 WNBL campaign and any touring acts that wish make a stop in Canberra.

The University of Canberra is doing a feasibility study into building its own multi-purpose arena on campus, while Exhibition Park is expected to build a 10,000 capacity venue and Barr is keen to build an 8000-seat music venue.

Barr has also moved away from plans to build a stadium in Civic, preferring to instead work with the commission about the best ways to redevelop Canberra Stadium.

"This is really beneficial," Berry said. "I know everyone wants a new stadium, of course we do. But we think that working with the sports commission and the federal government, we can achieve some really great things out here.

"We all know that when this stadium and the AIS Arena are full, they sing. And they're amazing places ... people have great memories of all of that. We'll do what we can to make them even better and continue to have that aspiration and dream for a new stadium."

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