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Do we need a new stadium in Canberra? Photo: Supplied.
Do we need a new coat of arms? Do we need a coat of arms at all? Many RiotACT readers don’t think so.
The city of Canberra has a longstanding coat of arms featuring various heraldic devices, including a castle and crossed swords. It was originally commissioned for HMAS Canberra. It’s often been used in lieu of a Territory symbol and it sits on the ACT’s flag.
Now there are plans afoot for an ACT coat of arms. A community reference panel will consider what to include as part of a consultation process intended to bring the ACT into line with all states and territories with our own coat of arms.
The reference group is seeking people with experience in heraldry, Ngunnawal culture and history, people with design backgrounds and expertise relating to coats of arms or insignias. The group will also work with students from the University of Canberra’s Arts and Design faculty to design prototypes.
But there were plenty of commenters who thought the entire notion of a coat of arms was a waste of time and money.
We asked, Do we need an ACT coat of arms at all? A total of 885 readers responded. Your choice was to vote Yes, it’s a link with the past and an independent symbol of our city. This received 33 per cent of the total, or 288 votes. Alternatively, you could vote No, it’s a bit of outdated nonsense. This received 67 per cent of the total, or 597 votes.
This week, we’re wondering how you feel about the plans for a new stadium.
A long-running issue here in Canberra, the new stadium’s cost is now estimated at more than half a billion dollars depending on the design chosen. Preferred sites are either EPIC or the Civic pool.
READ ALSO Civic or EPIC stadium kicks off at half a billion dollars, says report
A study commissioned by the government shows that a city stadium seating 25,000 people would be the cheaper option, but Chief Minister Andrew Barr says that building the stadium won’t become a priority until 2025 or later and that Bruce has life left in it for a while yet.
Currently, the government’s major infrastructure priority is the new Canberra Theatre, replacing a building constructed in 1965 when the city’s population was less than 100,000. A new theatre could also be used on a continuous basis by multiple community groups.
The Civic stadium site comes with several challenges, including changes to the National Capital Plan to enable a roof height of more than 25 metres and a potential realignment of Parkes Way. There would also be no parking on-site, and users would need to access the stadium via public transport or use existing city car parks.
But proponents point out that the existing facilities at Bruce are tired and that without a new stadium, it’s unlikely Canberra could attract major events, including Rugby World Cup games.
Our question this week is:
Do we need a new Civic stadium at the cost of half a billion dollars?
Current Bruce site is ideal, central enough and easily accessable via the GDE and Tuggeranong Pwy. Plus it has parking, unlike Civic or Manuka.
Dave Allen Only because the tigers can’t win there😂😂😂😂😂
I’m so glad I don’t live in Barr Town anymore
Another article about a new stadium not really needed – considering the low tax base in the ACT AND that no one wants to pay for.
Royal Warrant granting armorial bearings for the Federal Capital Commissioners and the City of Canberra, 1928: https://www.foundingdocs.gov.au/enlargement-royal-warrant.html
Can’t even pack the stadium that we’ve already got..
Cawell playing fields would be perfect, close to the highway
We don’t need a football stadium. We don’t need more taxpayer money spent on even more male oriented activities. Many of us are fed up with the sexist ACT government not catering to what the majority of females want and need.
How about the football obsessed pay for it? I have no interest 1 way or the other.
Kriso Hadskini how can I ensure that all my taxes go towards a new stadium?
Civic!! No brainer. Epic is in the middle of no where and would provide no upside
Spend the money removing asbestos and lead paint from our public schools
hows about a fraction of that spent on reopening our existing drag strip. 🤷♀️
Max Chesterfield our precious pollies couldn’t do that.
On the tram route and near the city sounds ideal. Needs dinner options and pubs near by. unless its a private sector build, with covid still looming o/s etc, we should be spending it on the hospitals…
I thought this was already finalised to have it build over the civic pool and to have the parkway flow underneath it?I thought they already decided on a build like the one in Dunedin? All those saying Bruce Stadium is fine don’t understand the time taken to get to and from when living in the south (yes the place that’s always forgotten about) If they had any form of eateries in the area it would be fine (hence why a new one in the city works) then maybe we could hold off. Canberra needs a stadium with a roof so it can be used correctly all year around.
Tim Pollard 💯 the eateries around the stadium and just the atmosphere would bring the city alive when games are on Bruce is in the sticks sort of 😉
Loretta Hately exactly what I think when I see Bruce. Most of the stadiums in Australia are built within city centres so its easy to have a meal before and a drink after the game, or concert etc…, the longer they hold out the more expensive it will become
No new stadium is required
Well given this ACT Labor government can’t get the swimming pool right what hope do they have of getting the stadium right? Clearly we are destined for more Labor stuff-ups.
Just put some glad wrap over the top of GIO and there’s your roof.
If there is to be a stadium on the site of the Olympic Pool, then at least keep the diving tower which my father was the engineer for and which won design awards at the time.
Fix…. health housing and education first!
I dont think this government spends enough on the really important things. I think we should have more spent on virtue signalling
No – doctors, beds, mental health services please.
Why not just fix up GIO. Great location, just needs some updating.
Sally-anne Hately Radcliffe Updating wont change the 1970s architecture. Updating = complete demolition and rebuild.
Sally-anne Hately Radcliffe no we need a stadium in the city it would be awesome to be able to watch games in the city imagine the atmosphere around the city when an event is on Canberra will come alive! Bruce is in the sticks sort of 😉 no eateries around there.
This was on the cards a few years back – keeps getting dragged back for discussion.
Just build a new stadium similar to Bankwest in Parramatta. It will mostly be used for football but can also be multi purpose. BankWest has been used for concerts and boxing. The government needs to build something similar and then actively pursue promoters ect to bring their events to Canberra. Elton John for example did a ton of shows in Sydney on his last tour, including BankWest stadium. There is no reason that one if not more of those shows couldn’t have been in Canberra if we had a suitable venue. A smart government could leverage such a venue to create revenue for the community but I doubt our government has the smarts to pull it off.
Jonathan Swale Canberrans just want a hospital in every suburb.
Jonathan Swale that is what they are doing.
Whatever, just Get it done.
Alex Thomson expand the oval
Not much space left around the oval. Also, you would then need to find more space for an oval in Woden, and there is none
I’d be happy to see an upgrade of the current stadium with some sort of club built next to it for pre/post match food, drinks and socialising.
Avril Pounds bruce stadium is 50 years old with similarly dated architecture. No upgrade will fix that. It needs to be completely demolished to bring it up to modern standards.
Jon Billows – let’s assume you are 100% correct… So why not do that?
Steve Lemon because it would be more expensive. And two it doesn’t solve the problem that bruce is in the middle of nowhere without a bar or restaurant for miles
Jon Billows because a complete redevelopment couldn’t incorporate that? – and why wouldn’t we want to knock it down vs continue patching it up?
Steve Lemon once again it doesn’t solve the horrible location issue.
Avril Pounds some sort of club next to it, vs the city?
If a new stadium will fix the homeless situation we have in Canberra as well as the Hospital and Health issues that surround the Canberra hospitals and its people then I am all for it. But before it goes ahead can the Barr government be up front prior to sign up and tell the voters exactly how much the through life cost will be, and how this cost will be funded. It might be an idea before awarding the work to a successful developer our government learn how to write an iron clad contract that will hold the contractor accountable for any poor work carried out by them and the sub-contractors they use over the life of the contract. 🙂
Ken Owers so true with your summation. Health and homeless are a major worry. Ok for local politicians who lob up to hospital they either have top medical cover that us normal people can’t afford or are given preferential treatment. They promised an new ice skating/ ice hockey rink in Tuggeranong at last election but I guess this will go by the wayside in view of talk about a new stadium. Barr couldn’t lie straight in bed.
Geoff Col what exactly are you basing that guess on?
“A new twin sheet ice sports facility for Canberra will be built in Tuggeranong following the selection of a proponent to develop a detailed proposal.
The ACT Government previously indicated its preference for any future facility to be located in south Canberra, and the identified site on Rowland Rees Crescent in Greenway will ensure the facility is located near other sporting facilities and is well connected to the Tuggeranong Town Centre and public transport options. … It is anticipated Cruachan’s detailed proposal will be submitted to the Government in early 2021.”
What about using properly the one we already have?
Vander Leal you can’t. Its a relic that just doesn’t stack up anymore.
Jon Billows Imagine if they had developed it for AFL or cricket as was intended before the Raiders got their mits on it, oh and do not forget the training ground. If the stadium moves, they will have their hand out again for a new training area……
Stephen Mee wasn’t the stadium changed to a rectangle so we could get soccer games at the 2000 olympics ?
Stephen Mee already have a new one in Braddon chief
Curtis Schaeffer not even close. It’s a practice facility for the Raiders. Can’t play any games there. Where you gonna sit … on the rainbow roundabout?
Stephen Mee Ben is correct…
“GIO Stadium received another major redevelopment in 1997 in preparation for preliminary football games for the Sydney 2000 Olympics. The playing surface was lowered, a new inner-bowl of seating was constructed and facilities were upgraded, increasing the stadium’s capacity to 25,000 (all-seated) and making it suitable for rectangular sports only. Around this time the venue also changed its name to Canberra Stadium.”
Curtis Schaeffer And you wonder why there is a request to have it in the city.
it tells us the expected cost of a stadium but what is the expected revenue per year?
Civic pool. The stadium needs to be a short walk into the city.
Stadium at Epic. Restaurants and pubs built. Tram stop already there. Room for car parks
There will always transport problems no matter where you build it. So why not just redevelop the Bruce Stadium precinct rather than move it.
Civic pool. If you want to swim, have a bath
Love the parking comment. Canberrans insist they are so environmentally savy but can’t leave the car at home. Every major stadium in the country is built around public transport.
Both bruce stadium and the civic pools are money pits already. Delaying thier demolition is only going to cost more money.
Jon Billows You raise a good point regarding public transport. Perhaps the stadium question should be revisted when light rail is deployed first, because public transport sucks in Canberra atm, maybe that will make it at least bearable.
Jay Kay given that the stadium will take five years to build there is no reason they can’t be done simultaneously. A better transport system can be in place by the time the first game occurs, including trams to woden and other locations.
Jon Billows Maybe the reason could be the budget deficits and affordability/what should be competing fiscal priorities……
Leave Civic pool where it is, no stadium!
Bee Haych oh my bad I didn’t grow up watching the Simpsons. So it’s only okay to have an opinion if it aligns with yours, is that right? Or can you only write one word?
I was merely quoting a simpsons reference , not making any attack. I don’t agree with your sentiment which is why I posted the reference. Relax, you’re doing fine, we’re all different and that’s beautiful 🌻
the civic has a water leak so it needs to be replaced
Stephen Healy it can be repaired, don’t put a stadium there
Stephen Healy good for the economy, good for struggling business in the city, good for the all the bars and the food joints there and can be used for training and corporate functions. Also closer to those travelling from southside which is a large portion of CBR. makes great sense.
It has been leaking, and they have been trying to repair it, since it was built in 1955.
“Civic Pool has been leaking almost since day one, according to recently released ACT government archive documents.
According to the files leaks were first detected in the year the facility opened, prompting decades of ad hoc repair efforts and radioactive materials being released to trace where water was escaping.”
When I said replace it, it could be put on a sporting complex put a new pool part of the stadium so some of the complex will be used 365 days a year.
Considering they had trouble organising a hole in the ground and put water in it without leaking in Gungahlin…. good luck
Corey Karl nothing new, Civic pool has leaked since it was built in 1955.
Maybe we can put up a heap of tents in the new stadium and use it as a camp site between footy games to help homeless people have a place to sleep.
How can you say this is an eye watering cost when it is a quarter of the cost of replacing rubber tyres with steel wheels on public transport between Civic and Woden.
Dani Devine the interior 😍 View
Mitchell Smith when are we moving haha View
Nathan Lissing goulburn looks like a good option… View
Jin Ping Goh HAHAA omg ded View
Mengge Kyu this one View
I’m so happy to hear the outcome ..… my niece and I saw it ..… I was hoping there would be a… View
Cass Proudfoot If they are in their nineties, a very old, non-insulated 3 bedroom housing commision… View
I really feel for older people who moved to Canberra for a job that came with a house, and are now… View
Onelia Herriot some of them are in their nineties. Moving will be too much for them at this age. View
Geoffrey I’m pretty sure the one in my street hasn’t had an inspection in the entire time the… View
Jarryd Moore i did read the article, and I am very conversant with government consultation… View
ACTCOSS really has lost the plot. For anyone who’s didn’t read the article, tenants were given… View
Should the ACT release all cabinet papers within 30 days?
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