14 September 2024
Labor’s plan to make the Canberra you love even better
Canberrans have every right to be proud of our city and excited about what comes next. And Labor is reflecting that pride in our ambitious plan for Canberra’s future.
We are working with Canberrans to make our city even more connected and dynamic. A growing city that is proudly welcoming and inclusive. A city that is unique in what it offers, yet has everything you need to enjoy it. We love every part of Canberra and Labor is committed to making sure everything we love about Canberra, is available in every part of Canberra.
That starts with new and renewed infrastructure - from new playgrounds to light rail. With two Labor Governments working side by side, Canberrans will get the infrastructure a city of half a million people needs.
Sport
We will build a new Canberra aquatic centre in Commonwealth Park, having secured support for the land use from the Albanese Government. We will work in collaboration with the National Capital Authority (NCA) on the project, aiming for construction to commence in the next term.
As work starts on a new aquatic centre, Labor will further progress detailed design and precinct planning for the convention and entertainment precinct. The 8,000 seat entertainment centre will firmly place Canberra on the live music touring map and provide a venue for major indoor sporting events like basketball, netball and tennis.
Sport brings Canberrans together and Labor will make sure that we can continue to play, and enjoy, great sport in our backyard.
A Labor Government will actively support Canberra’s first Big Bash cricket franchise, working with Cricket ACT to include the franchise into the next agreement with Cricket Australia to give Canberrans their own men’s and women’s BBL teams playing at Manuka Oval.
We will also support the return of the Canberra Cannons to the National Basketball League (NBL), joining the Capitals in the WNBL to bring more basketball to the AIS Arena and the future Entertainment Centre.
Labor will continue to back our local elite sporting teams in national competitions, with increased funding for our local women’s sporting teams like Canberra United, ACT Meteors and the Canberra Capitals.
We will also build a new 30,000 seat Canberra Stadium as part of the Bruce Health, Education and Sports precinct. The precinct will include the rejuvenated Australian Institute of Sport, the new northside hospital, the Canberra Institute of Technology, the University of Canberra and new hospitality, hotel, housing and retail developments.
We have jointly funded work with the Australian Government on the precinct planning and will invest in detailed design and business case development to have the stadium ready for construction in 2028-29.
Canberra is an active city, with thousands playing local sport. From team sports to individual sports, a re-elected Labor Government will support further participation by increasing our local sports grants program to $4.7 million annually.
Arts
People in Canberra visit cultural venues and events more than anywhere else in Australia – with a particular focus on the performing arts. 72% of adults and 82% of children attend at least one performing arts event each year in the ACT.
That’s why Labor is delivering a new 2,000 seat Canberra Lyric Theatre as the first stage of the Canberra Theatre Centre transformation. The project will create a performing arts centre of national significance in the heart of the city.
The new theatre will attract major productions like blockbuster musicals, circus shows, ballet and opera that audiences will travel to Canberra to see. It will boost the local economy by attracting more visitors to Canberra and creating more jobs in arts and culture, hospitality and construction. Our city centre will be enhanced as a lively destination for entertainment and dining hundreds of nights each year.
We are also continuing to invest in our exceptional local artists and arts centres across Canberra, including the new Kingston Arts Precinct - the future home of visual arts in Canberra.
We know that the infrastructure is only one part of our city’s ambition for a thriving arts sector. That’s why a re-elected Labor Government will increase Government funding to local artists, arts projects, organisations and centres by over $5 million over the next term.
Major Events and Canberra Icons
Labor will invest further in the major events Canberrans love and bring back some Canberra icons.
We will enhance the autumn Enlighten Festival by adding hugely popular drone shows to the program.
Reflecting our changing climate, Floriade will start earlier each year and we will increase the length of the Festival and extend its opening hours in the final week.
We will continue work with Telstra to reopen their iconic tower on Black Mountain as a Canberra visitor destination, features will include a café, retail space and observation deck.
And we will celebrate the quirky side of our city’s history by bringing back the Birdman Rally to Canberra Day and Saturday morning busking to a revitalised Garema Place.
It’s part of our plan for the Canberra you love, but better.
Statement ends
Media contact:
Kaarin Dynon 0422 772 215 [email protected]
