ACT government calls meeting to help develop AIS revamp vision

Berry convened a meeting of community leaders on Tuesday in an attempt to generate ideas for an AIS revamp and mount arguments for its future in the capital as the ACT government prepares its submission to a federal inquiry.

The ideas - which ranged from greater community access to facilities, new accommodation, improved training facilities and collaboration with Canberra's university and health sectors - will form part of the government's final submission, which is due next week.

Berry also encouraged individual sporting bodies and groups, including the ACT Property Council and the National Capital Education Tourism Project, to add their weight to the argument to ensure the facility remains in Canberra.

The federal government announced its latest review into the state of the AIS last month, with the panel to examine relocation options, existing facilities and required investment for upgrades.

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"I think initially we were all fearful," Berry said. "Looking in more detail at the review and the questions it's asking, I feel like there is an opportunity right now for us to really take ownership of the whole thing and make it our own.

"Really explore the opportunities and hopefully get a commitment through this review that the federal government says this is an amazing chance to do something really amazing in our city. It's more than sport, much more than that."

Submissions to the review close on November 21, with a report to be presented to federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King and Sport Minister Anika Wells by the end of the year.

The ACT government wants to partner with its federal counterparts to fund a precinct revitalisation, which would include a new or upgraded stadium, accommodation, retail and hospitality outlets and a connection to the North Canberra Hospital.

But there are competing voices within the federal government lobbying for the AIS relocated to South East Queensland or decentralised and spread around the country.

The Australian Sports Commission - a federal government agency - has previously rejected the relocation prospect, citing the $1 billion cost of establishing facilities in Queensland.

In an attempt to strengthen the case for the AIS remaining in Canberra, Berry asked the invited groups to examine the institute's impact on Canberra's economic development, elite and community sports and business interests.

She flagged the prospect of partnering with the federal government and high-performance sports to make the institute a sought-after destination for athletes.

Representatives from Senator David Pocock and Alicia Payne's offices contributed to the discussion, while representatives from rugby union, basketball, softball, cycling, gymnastics, swimming, cricket, Australia rules, netball, rowing and athletics provided input.

"We have the right to dream," Berry told the group at the end of the discussion.

"We had a short period of time to gather everyone ... for a big conversation. You can hear from the people in there, there's a real passion for wanting to be involved.

"If you took [the closure of the AIS Arena] and spread that over the whole facility, the impact would be quite devastating [if the AIS was moved].

"People are putting their minds to not just, 'don't take it', but also here are all the reasons why. It's not just because we're the nation's capital or because we have feelings.

"It's because the role [the AIS] plays. Not just to our city and the nation to all the sports, community, education events and economics. It would be quite devastating [to have it moved]."

The ACT government's plans for a new or upgraded stadium at Bruce and taking charge of day to day operations of the AIS Arena rely heavily on the federal government's plans for the AIS precinct. The federal government owns the stadium and the arena.

The arena has been closed since early 2020, but the federal government is funding upgrades to reopen the capital's largest indoor venue by mid 2024.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr nominated Bruce as his preferred location for a new rectangular stadium earlier this year after spending almost a decade pursuing Civic as an option.

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