Review recommends that the Australian Institute of Sport remain in Canberra

A Federal Government review into the location and infrastructure of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) has recommended that the institution remain at its current site in the Canberra suburb of Bruce.

Amid calls for the AIS to relocate to South East Queensland in order to link with preparations for the Brisbane 2032 Games, the review, which commenced in October last year, considered the optimal location for the AIS, the level of investment required, including appropriate accommodation facilities for athletes and staff, along with international best practice.

Led by Erin Flaherty and Robyn Smith, it found there was broad-based support from stakeholders that the AIS campus at Bruce had unique attributes as a high-performance facility.

The Federal Government will now consider the remaining recommendations, including those for the revitalisation of the Bruce campus, as part of its 2024/25 Budget deliberations. It intends to release the findings of the review once it has fully considered the report’s findings.

Commenting on the recommendations, Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King stated “I thank the reviewers for their report, which undertook the important work of examining the facilities the AIS needs to achieve its purpose.

“This is critical to ensuring the AIS delivers on its responsibilities to make sure it can support high-performance athletes with a national approach that drives international competitiveness and success at major sporting events, including the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

Federal Minister for Sport, Anika Wells added “keeping the AIS in Canberra will help guide effective investment in sporting facilities to ensure the AIS continues to best support high-performance athletes on the road to Brisbane 2032.

“It is clear that any relocation would compromise athlete preparations for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics and Paralympics, so I am pleased to offer certainty for the Australian sporting community as our Aussie athletes prepare to compete at our home Games.”

The recommendation was welcomed by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), with Chief Executive, Kieren Perkins stating “the AIS has been the home of sport in Australia for over 42 years and our campus continues to be critical to the success of our athletes as we build towards Brisbane 2032 and beyond.

“In the lead up to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games the AIS is busier than ever having hosted more than 830 athletes from 17 sports last month alone, as well as welcoming thousands of visitors on site to tour our facilities.

Image: The AIS Visitor Centre. Credit: Australian Institute of Sport/Australian Sports Commission.