Canberra's main indoor sports venue, which has been effectively mothballed for two years, is set to reopen next year after ACT Liberal senator Zed Seselja announced funding for a safety upgrade.
The AIS Arena, which hosted concerts and the Canberra Capitals women's basketball team, was shut down when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020.
It was later used as a mass vaccination clinic but the site never reopened for major events due to concerns about its poor fire safety.
The ACT and federal governments have spent years arguing over who is responsible for repairing the stadium, which is part of the Australian Institute of Sport campus.
The stalemate left the city's only professional basketball team without a proper home, as players relied on community facilities and questioned whether a male team would have encountered the same issues.
Earlier this year, Senator Seselja said the ACT government, as one of the facility's main tenants, needed to "come to the table" by helping to fund repairs.
However, Senator Seselja and federal Sports Minister Richard Colbeck announced today that the Commonwealth would provide $11.4 million to ensure the arena reopened early next year.
The money has been set aside in the federal budget and is not conditional on next month's election outcome.
Funds covers new seating, improved safety
Senator Seselja heralded the Commonwealth's decision as a "big win for Canberrans".
"Whilst during COVID those sorts of things weren't possible and, of course, because of the state of the arena they weren't possible, it's great that we're able to deliver this funding to make sure that can happen."
Senator Seselja said the upgrade should take six to eight months to complete.
It will involve replacing the stadium's seating, and repairing the venue's lighting and electronics, fire-safety systems and lifts.
Entire AIS needs revitalising, not just arena: Labor
Basketball ACT chief executive David Simpson welcomed the news as a chance for the Capitals to return to their "real home".
"It goes back to the '80s when the Cannons were playing," he said.
However, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the federal funding was merely "a start".
"It's a pity it took a hotly contested election campaign for this belated acceptance of the Commonwealth's responsibility for maintaining their own asset," Mr Barr said.
"Nevertheless, we welcome the commitment.
Independent ACT Senate candidate David Pocock said the Coalition's funding announcement would not undo years of neglect of the sports campus.
Mr Pocock, who has campaigned to improve sports facilities in Canberra, said the funding was only announced because Senator Seselja was at risk of losing his seat.
"In last month's federal budget, we saw the ACT finish in last place for infrastructure investment once again, with just 0.3 per cent of the total national spend," he said.
Almost a month after Senator Seselja announced the funding to upgrade the AIS Arena, federal Labor promised to commit $15 million towards the facility, if the party was elected.
ACT Labor senator Katy Gallagher said the $11.4 million in funding announced by the Coalition was not enough.
"It's really about making some additional investments to the ... package that Zed Seselja has announced because we really would like it to be a place where artists want to come, sporting teams can use and people can actually enjoy being in the audience," she said.
