Barr adds major requirements to proposed Canberra stadium, risking approval
Chief Minister Andrew Barr is now insisting the stadium also host cricket and AFL, enlarging the scope significantly.
Canberra's Chief Minister Andrew Barr initially backed a 25,000-capacity stadium proposal. This week he escalated demands.
Barr wants it to hold 30,000 people and also cater for cricket and AFL, adding about 12 more events a year. The larger footprint would push the stadium south and east into Commonwealth Park.
This threatens the Floriade festival and the Aquatic Centre. He said the project, estimated at around half a billion dollars, needs Commonwealth funding and a public-private partnership.
ACT ratepayers will not support it alone. The financing model creates major hurdles.
Yet Barr says it is still worth considering. The real bottleneck: will the Catholic Church sell the land?
Will it actually fit? Can anyone afford it?
- 25,000
- Original capacity
- 30,000
- Escalated capacity
- At least 12
- Added events annually
- Around half a billion dollars
- Estimated cost
Why it mattersThese expanding demands suggest the stadium as proposed may be heading toward rejection, wasting time and planning resources.
AustraliaCanberra residents are watching a major infrastructure proposal get bigger and more expensive, while losing green space may alienate voters.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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