The GIANTS today announced details of a submission to the ACT Government for an $800 million upgrade of Manuka Oval and the surrounding area.
GIANTS Chairman Tony Shepherd said the ‘Manuka Green’ proposal would see an upgraded Manuka Oval become an international-standard sporting facility, together with a world-class mixed-use precinct linking Manuka Oval to the Manuka business district and Kingston Foreshore.
“For over 100 years, Manuka Oval has been a proud home for cricket and Australian Football in Canberra,” Mr Shepherd said.
“But the oval’s potential is limited by not meeting benchmarks for international cricket or AFL.
“The proposed upgrades will mean that Canberra can attract more elite sporting events. They will also bring great improvements to the player and visitor experience.
"Manuka Green invokes a world class design for one of Canberra’s most valuable community assets – a design that better links Manuka Oval with Telopea Park and the Manuka shopping village.
“Our vision is for a beautiful new part of Canberra that is based on wonderful design, sustainability and public art which people will love to come to, whether to attend a sporting event, to work, to live or to visit and enjoy."
The GIANTS have partnered with Grocon, one of Australia's leading development partners, to deliver this project.
The proposal includes:
- 4750 new permanent seats to replace poor quality temporary seating and standing areas
- New roofing covering 80 per cent of seating
- A multi-million dollar landscape upgrade including a new running track linking Manuka Oval to Telopea Park and the Kingston Foreshore
- New hospitality, media and change room facilities
- A mixed-use development in the Manuka precinct that includes a boutique 4-star hotel and serviced apartments, residential, commercial and retail and a licenced club. Overall the proposal includes approximately 140,000 square metres of Gross Floor Area (GFA)
- Up to 450 additional car parking spaces
- Preservation of heritage assets on the existing Manuka Oval precinct
“Canberra is in the GIANTS’ DNA and this proposal further cements our commitment to the Canberra community and indeed our long-term future in the ACT,” Mr Shepherd said.
“Importantly, this proposal strives to generate substantial long-term economic benefits for the ACT, sees the oval remain in community ownership and will come at no cost to the ACT taxpayer.
“This proposal understands the need to enhance the local environment for residents and traders. It is also committed to preserving the heritage assets on the current Manuka Oval site – these are important assets that remain key features of the Manuka community.”
The GIANTS are seeking feedback from the local community and other key stakeholders about this proposal. There will be a number of opportunities for the community to engage in the ongoing development of this proposal in the coming weeks, in addition to the online public feedback forum. Details of these opportunities will be announced in the coming days.
Further to this process, the GIANTS will also hold a design competition, if the ACT Government proceeds with the proposal, with a design brief that is informed by the community’s ideas.
“No one knows Canberra better than Canberrans which is why we will be collaborating on this project with the community in a meaningful, accountable and responsive way,” Mr Shepherd added.
“We want to establish Manuka Oval as a broad-based sporting venue that represents a truly outstanding asset for Canberra and the only way we can do that is by sharing ideas and further developing a clear understanding of each other’s priorities, needs and expectations.
“With this in mind, a design competition is a transparent and equitable way of ensuring the entire community has the opportunity to directly contribute to the upgrade of a very important community asset.”
For more information about the proposal, go to www.manukagreen.com.au
About the GIANTS
The GIANTS are the Australian Football League’s 18th and newest club, representing Western Sydney and Canberra. The GIANTS were established in 2008 before entering the national AFL competition ahead of the 2012 season.
The GIANTS have established a genuine, long-term AFL club presence in Canberra playing four games a year at Manuka Oval including three AFL Premiership matches each season. The GIANTS have also forged strong links with the Canberra community through a number of community-based initiatives and by investing in a range of talent pathway initiatives
On-field the GIANTS have made strong progress since joining the AFL competition with the club enjoying its best season on record in 2015, winning 11 games – the most in its brief history – and finishing just out of finals contention. The 2015 season also saw the club set a new membership record with 13,480 people signing on as GIANTS members in addition to the GIANTS recording the second highest growth rate in home attendances across the AFL. The club continues to expand its commercial footprint with a number of blue-chip and emerging brands partnering the GIANTS.
About Grocon
Grocon is one of Australia’s leading development, construction and investment management companies with a proud track record spanning over 65 years. Grocon specialises in creating medium and large scale residential, commercial and social infrastructure projects with high emphasis on design excellence and sustainability. It also has proven credentials in the development of successful mixed use projects in collaboration with government and not-for-profit organisations. Grocon’s past projects include some of Australia’s most highly regarded and awarded buildings including the MCG Northern Stand Redevelopment and AAMI Park in Melbourne and landmark No.1 Martin Place and Liberty Place developments in Sydney. 
