GIO Stadium revamp put on hold

Canberra’s GIO Stadium won’t receive any major redevelopment works until a decision is made on the proposed new roofed stadium in the nation’s capital.

Almost $5 million has been spent on the venue over the past five years, keeping it up to industry standard.

The most recent $2 million was spent on new ticket booths at the west and east gates and new turf – both of which were unveiled at the first ACT Brumbies match of the 2014 season this weekend.

The new ticket booths are designed to improve crowd flow in and out of the ground. They also include public wifi – allowing spectators to purchase tickets online if queues are too long.

The recent improvements were made in preparation for the 2015 Asian Cup in which the venue will host six pool matches and a quarter final.

Canberra Stadium was recently renamed following its first naming-rights agreement, with the venue known as GIO Stadium from the start of 2014 in a deal worth up to $350,000 per year over the next four years.

Despite the improvements, stadium general manager Neale Guthrie admitted the venue was still at the lower end of the scale compared to other stadiums around Australia.

Guthrie said no more major work would be done until there's a decision on a new roofed stadium.

The government is yet to finalise details for the proposed rectangular stadium with a roof, which has been flagged for the site of the Civic Pool by 2020.