An independent board may take control of Canberra's stadium saga, addressing nearly 20 years of issues as urgent repairs and doubts about the venue's future grow.
The concept of an independent board taking control of Canberra's stadium saga in a bid to end almost 20 years of false dawns is gathering momentum - and a compelling case for potential for public and private investment could put the city back on the agenda.
"It's not the last throw of the dice," former ACT Brumbies chairman Matt Nobbs said. "But we need to think differently about how we approach it."
The future of Canberra Stadium has been debated across Canberra for 17 years with the ACT government's own documents revealing the venue's expiry date is coming next year, despite Chief Minister Andrew Barr claiming last year the stadium still has more than a decade left in its lifespan.
But a shattered coach's box that left an NRL coach requiring stitches, leaking ceilings in the change rooms and tunnel and foul smells wafting through the bowels of the stadium have sparked questions as to just how long they can keep the lights on in Bruce. And for a moment on Saturday night, it seemed like they couldn't - because a light tower at the western end of the ground didn't properly light up until almost three minutes into the ACT Brumbies' clash with the Fijian Drua.