Arabic version: تبلور مقترح ملعب واجهة مائية في كانبيرا

According to ABC News, a consortium of Canberra business figures has floated a proposal for a waterfront all-event stadium in the city centre, despite the project lacking confirmed land, an owner and a builder. The pitch has received positive but cautious responses from lawmakers.

The suggested venue would be a roofed rectangular stadium modelled on Christchurch’s Te Kaha Stadium. It would hold 25,000 people for sporting events and 35,000 for concerts. Te Kaha cost about half a billion Australian dollars to deliver. Canberra’s existing rectangular stadium in Bruce has faced criticism over its ageing infrastructure and location.

The proposed site is on the north shore of Lake Burley Griffin near Regatta Place, on Commonwealth land occupied in part by the Catholic Archbishop’s house and adjacent parking. It would be close to the next stage of light rail, where construction to take trams to the lake’s edge is already under way, and would offer event-goers the option of walking to city nightlife.

The group behind the idea includes Canberra Airport boss Stephen Byron, Canberra Data Centres founder Greg Boorer and other corporate figures. Byron said the consortium does not want to own or build the stadium. It is discussing a purchase of the Catholic Archdiocese land and says it would hand the site over free to the project’s operator, which could be the Commonwealth, the ACT and Commonwealth governments together, or a private developer.

The business group believes the stadium could be completed by 2030, with six months proposed for architectural designs, six to 12 months for ACT government consideration, and an estimated 2.5-year construction period if approved. ACT Senator Katy Gallagher called the idea “potentially very exciting”, while ACT Treasurer Chris Steel said the government would not rule out considering it, while raising transport, parking and game-day access questions.