End of Canberra Stadium may be near
A new $350m roofed stadium in Canberra could become a reality sooner than expected, to replace the aging GIO Stadium.
A private consortium is supporting a bid for the ACT government to fast-track plans for a new Stadium with Canberra (GIO) Stadium deteriorating into a poor spectator experience comparted to other similar major venues.
Crowds are down for the two winter tenants with the ACT Brumbies and Canberra Raiders attracting less fans, with the existing stadium having poor facilities leaving fans out in the cold.
The Brumbies recently drew their second-worst crowd in club history, with just 5283 fans turning up to watch their loss against the Melbourne Rebels. The franchise is in danger of recording their worst crowd figures in 20 years.
Canberra Stadium is owned by the Australian Sports Commission and the ACT government pays $350,000 per year to rent the facility. The AIS is looking to downsize its footprint in the nation’s capital and sell major assets, including the stadium and AIS Arena. The government is keen to buy Canberra Stadium and the AIS Arena, while the chance to buy one of the two pools at the AIS could also be an option.
It is hoped a new centrally-located 20,000-25,000 rectangular stadium will be built as part of a wider redevelopment of the Civic precinct, also incorporating a convention centre and hotel. The new stadium would cater for the Brumbies, Raiders and a potential new A-League team in the future.
