Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart says ACT chief minister Andrew Barr's comments on a new Civic stadium highlight the importance of the ACT Brumbies in Canberra.
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While Stuart said the Raiders "desperately" needed a new stadium, he "totally agreed" with Barr's view it couldn't be built unless there were teams playing in it.
Barr dropped a bombshell on the ABC on Friday when he said there was "no way" a rectangular, indoor stadium would be built in Civic if the Raiders, Brumbies and an A-League team weren't using it.
Given Football Federation Australia have no plans of giving Canberra an A-League team in the foreseeable future it essentially puts the proposed $350 million stadium on the scrap heap.
"I totally agree with what Andrew Barr's saying that if the city's putting that amount of money into a stadium we need other sports to be using it, which is why it's so important the Brumbies are here in Canberra as well," Stuart said.
"Yes we do need a new stadium, desperately, but in saying that you need other sports to be playing out of it.
"It's important that we have major sporting teams in the city. We're big enough to have these teams here and it all comes back down to usage at a stadium then."
ACT opposition leader Alistair Coe said the Civic stadium was a victim of the government's $939 million light rail project.
Coe said the proposed national convention centre had also been a victim of the cost of light rail, although he didn't offer what the Liberal's plans for the stadium were.
The government said the convention centre wouldn't go ahead without federal government funding.
"The abandoned stadium joins the convention centre as a casualty of light rail. Prior to the 2016 election, Labor said that Canberra could afford them all," Coe said.
"The reality is, after light rail, the ACT budget is at capacity and other projects that Andrew Barr once advocated for now have to be abandoned."
It means the Raiders and Brumbies will continue to play home games at Canberra Stadium, which was originally built in 1977.
An industry expert put the lifespan of a stadium at a 50-year maximum because they become outdated and can fall behind modern standards.
It's believed about 40 events a year are needed to make a new stadium economically viable - about double the combined number of Raiders and Brumbies home games.
Venues Canberra director Liz Clarke said they would continue to maintain Canberra Stadium as required. but wouldn't disclose whether any major upgrades were planned.
"We will continually look to make the stadium viable and sustainable into the future," she said.
"We will be considering improvements to customer amenity, fan day experience and to players facilities ... and these will be part of future budget processes."
