Proponents of Canberra’s new ice rink project insist building on available land in Tuggeranong is still Plan A and the government should accept some responsibility for the project's stalled progress. It comes after the ACT chief minister urged them to "get on with it".
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00:00When it comes to making progress on Canberra's long-awaited Ice Sports Centre, proponents
00:08put the hold-up down to three main factors. Location...
00:13It's quite steep, and obviously with a large footprint building, the more level the site,
00:19the better. Location...
00:21We also know from past experience on other projects that even the removal of two trees
00:26is just a lot of concern amongst the local community, let alone 200.
00:31Location...
00:32And having 3,000-plus spectators go into an area which is not ideally designed for such a mass transit
00:42will create some traffic management issues.
00:44A facility was added to ACT Labor's to-do list in 2016 and was promoted to Election Promise in 2020.
00:52In early 2023, the government announced support for a Canberra arena in Tuggeranong,
00:57with capacity for more than 3,500 people.
01:00Mr Campbell says he is trying to make a development on this site work, but is identifying alternatives just in case.
01:08You can invest a lot of money into a project only for it to then fall because of those who are opposed to the removal of trees.
01:16As far as the government's concerned, the location is non-negotiable, and the land has always been viable.
01:22We certainly believe so, and we wouldn't have put it forward if we didn't.
01:28Just yesterday, Andrew Barr wasn't so measured.
01:31I think everyone wants them to get on with this, the ACT Government included.
01:36Mr Campbell, who says he's still waiting on a tranche of contractual paperwork from the Planning Directorate,
01:42suggests the government take its own advice.
01:45I think it's a little bit unfair to say that it's all on us.
01:48This is a multi-party arrangement.
01:50The Brave will likely play at the AIS arena until at least 2027.