ACT Independent Senator David Pocock said he was disappointed the $10 million Bruce Precinct Master Plan released today failed to set out a preferred location for a stadium, a detailed business case, costing or timeline for the future of the site.
Senator Pocock said the “plan” sets out two high-level scenarios that leave virtually every major decision regarding the future of the stadium unresolved.
“I would have expected a lot more for $10 million than a document that fails to provide us with key details and is nowhere near a plan to start detailed design. It instead proposes millions more in studies before the government can make or implement the major decisions,” Senator Pocock said.
“What this plan does highlight are the challenges of colocating a stadium with a hospital away from established high capacity public transport infrastructure.
“While this plan fails to model stadium-event traffic coinciding with the hospital, it does show that the existing road congestion will roughly double.
“I want to see more - well overdue - investment in long-neglected infrastructure in our city but it needs to be done right.
“When I look at the struggles facing businesses in Civic and the huge sums being invested into light rail in the City I find it baffling that the ACT Government continues to stubbornly rule out a centrally located option for the stadium.
“This document is essentially a plan to make a plan that fails to meaningfully advance progress in the stadium upgrade Canberra so desperately needs.”