Panelists Devika Shivadekar, Stephen Byron, and Anna Neelagama at the RSM Leading Cities event. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Football fans may not like it but the ACT Government has got it right giving priority to the convention and entertainment precinct project in the city over a new stadium, an industry and business forum has heard.
The great stadium debate was raised at the RSM Leading Cities event at Old Parliament House on Friday (20 June), where it launched its Canberra Rising: Shaping a connected and sustainable capital report on the future of the national capital.
The view from the panel was that a convention centre, to be built on the Civic pool site, had greater benefits for the ACT but there was vote for the Taylor Swift effect that a new stadium could provide as a venue for big international acts.
Panellist Stephen Byron from Canberra Airport and Capital Property Group said the convention centre was not as attractive as a football stadium to voters, but it was probably more important to Canberra’s long-term role and business growth.
Mr Byron said Canberra was the national meeting place and should be the number one destination for Australian organisations and businesses wanting to hold conventions.
“It is the best business you could ever get into,” he said.
“I think we’re on the cusp of it with the ACT and Australian governments with Andrew Barr and Katy Gallagher coming together, and it’ll be a piece of infrastructure that will serve our country and it’ll serve our city in economic terms.
“I think it’s very exciting to see the progress being made in that area.”
Mr Byron said the convention centre opened in 1989 and had not been expanded since.
Announcing Budget funding for the project with Chief Minister Andrew Barr, Member for Canberra Alicia Payne said the current convention centre was at capacity and turning away a lot of business because it wasn’t big enough for the kinds of events that a modern capital should be able to host.
Business winner: A concept illustration of the proposed National Convention Centre and Entertainment Precinct. Image: ACT Government.
Mr Byron also backs Canberra having a new stadium and called for all parties to sort out where and when.
“The government will work out where they put it, I suppose, but it is time for the codes and governments to come together to solve this problem,” he said.
Mr Barr believes there are no feasible sites in the city and has plumped for Bruce where it could work with synergies of the revitalised AIS and the education and health precincts there.
But the government is still deciding exactly where at Bruce. The timeline is sometime close to 2030 and beyond.
Master Builders ACT CEO Anna Neelagama said it was about getting the numbers right and ensuring there was market to fill a new stadium.
But the convention centre should be the priority.
“Let’s get this convention centre done because with that will come the economic development that we here in this room really want,” she said.
RSM Australia Managing Partner Canberra Andrew Sykes agreed, despite being a football fan and stadium supporter, with a personal experience of how the current convention centre was letting down Canberra.
“I’ve recently been knocked back on having significant RSM training here in Canberra because we don’t have anywhere big enough to hold it,” he said.
“So you’re talking about hundreds of people being attracted every weekend, every week.”
But he admitted to being a fan of a combined stadium and convention centre in the city by Lake Burley Griffin.
RSM Australia economist Devika Shivadekar said having a stadium where the likes of Taylor Swift could perform would be a massive boost for Canberra’s economy.
Ms Shivadekar said Taylor Swift took a dismal Victorian economy to a quarter of positive growth.
“There’s a general perception that Canberra is very sleepy, very boring, but having a good stadium which will open the gates to having these international artists, good sporting events in Canberra, might just help change that image and bring more people in,” she said.
