Canberra Liberals say fans are 'taken for fools' by Andrew Barr in stadium war

At some point, the rhetoric goes, you have to "realise you're being taken for fools if you keep believing what Andrew Barr is saying".

But the Canberra Stadium war is over, isn't it? We're getting a new stadium, even if it is in Bruce, where clubs don't want it. And we're getting it in 10 years, even if we've heard that before.

"How many times are people going to believe this," Canberra Liberals deputy leader Jeremy Hanson wondered.

The ACT government's new infrastructure plan expects a "new or significantly enhanced" stadium at Bruce to cost more than $500 million.

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Compare that with the idea a 25,000-seat Civic stadium could be built for $580m if complete by 2027, as shown in a Barr-commissioned $200,000 study two years ago.

Cheaper, sure. Until you remember Bruce is a ghost town and any hopes of turning it into a buzzing precinct require investment in a light rail extension, restaurants and hotels.

Canberra Raiders chairman Dennis Richardson will front the media on Friday morning. One would hardly expect fireworks considering the Raiders and ACT Brumbies have effectively been silenced in the stadium debate.

Hanson tips the ACT government will siphon billions into light rail projects and the money for a stadium will dry up, so they will commission a feasibility study. Again.

"The Civic stadium is dead under this government," Hansen told ABC Radio.

"We've had, what, six, seven feasibility studies into stadiums now? Andrew Barr has been stringing us all along for over a decade, and then these projects are about a decade or more away.

"In 21 years of this government, what have they actually delivered other than feasibility studies? Now there is no money in the budget for this, this is something that may or may not happen.

"This is like an episode of Utopia. You've got a Chief Minister who keeps making all these promises and putting out all these feasibility studies, but where is it?"

Where should it be?

"In Civic, no question. That's what everybody has been saying for a long time, including Andrew Barr," Hansen said.

"It should be in Civic, and that's what the sporting codes have argued for, the Raiders, Brumbies and soccer. It's what makes sense, because you can then come into Civic and you can activate the city centre."

While we won't give you a new stadium in the city, the ACT government says, we'll give you some cheaper pies.

That ought to make those cold winter nights in Bruce's concrete wind tunnel more bearable.

If that doesn't do the trick, cheaper ticket prices might.

The government has allocated $1.2 million "for the fans of the ACT Brumbies and Canberra Raiders who attend matches at [Canberra] Stadium".

There are plans to lower food prices and reduce ticket prices for families with children to attend NRL and Super Rugby games in Canberra.

The Raiders are the hottest sporting ticket in town while the Brumbies have slashed the price of admission in recent years in a bid to win back their fan base.

The ACT government has also allocated $11.8 million to Manuka Oval, Canberra Stadium and Exhibition Park for ongoing maintenance.

Manuka Oval will celebrate its 100th birthday next year, with the government's plan slated to include "three new amenity blocks, entrance upgrades and a new video replay board".

We've been making noise about a stadium in the city for 14 years. For a moment, let's make some noise about a different sporting venue.

A 2000-seat auditorium is being factored into plans for the Hellenic Club of Canberra's $146 million redevelopment, aimed at attracting local and international visitors to a lavish new precinct.

The auditorium would likely become the home of prizefighting in Canberra, with Endouro Fight Series promoters keen to adopt the venue for the growing mixed martial arts promotion.

Hellenic Club officials are targeting April for the start of the redevelopment.

Endouro Fight Series will return on July 29, with a heavyweight title fight between hulking Sydneysider Jack Alexander and Queanbeyan's Dean Maxwell at the top of a card also boasting a flyweight championship bout between Danielle Curtis and Faine Mesquita - two amateur world champions moving into the professional ranks.

For what it's worth, yours truly will be in the centre of the cage with the microphone.

Wearing his top hat and all, you wonder if Nick Olive was tempted to ask King Charles about the chance of a Queanbeyan galloper heading to Royal Ascot.

Then again, if a picture tells a 1000 words, maybe the King wanted a word with the Queanbeyan-based racing trainer.

Olive was at Royal Ascot last week and snapped a photo of the King doffing his hat in his direction before Desert Hero gave the Royal a winner in the King George V Handicap.

"Such an amazing time to experience the tradition and excitement of Royal Ascot in the Royal Enclosure," Olive wrote on Instagram.

"Has got to be one of the world's best racing carnivals. Will definitely be back."

It's some change from the humble track at Queanbeyan, to which Olive shifted operations about nine months ago.

Olive says the move "has been one of best things we've done in a long time", with regular access to the course proper for gallops and the option of three different sand tracks to use.

The trainer who took Single Gaze to the Melbourne Cup says his horses are thriving on the fast sand track and working up the hill.

Two-time WNBL championship-winning coach Paul Goriss is a man in demand.

Goriss led the Canberra Capitals to consecutive championships which captivated a fan base before signing a two-season deal to join the Atlanta Dream as an assistant coach in the WNBA.

Atlanta officials are keen to retain Goriss, who had been sounded out by another WNBL club about a return to Australia but quickly knocked them back.

Which major Canberra sporting team's run-in with a marketing agency has sparked questions about their solvency?

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