Transcript of ABC 666 Ross Solly 'Breakfast" program interview with ACTISF spokesman Sandi Logan

8 September 2026

ABC 666 Ross Solly Breakfast 8 Sept 2026

Interview with Sandi Logan, spokesman ACTISF

Solly: Well, let's go now to Sandi Logan, who is an ACT Ice Sports Federation spokesman. He's been one of the loudest voices in Canberra for some time for this facility. But it's fair to say, can we ask you, Sandi Logan, that you've always had your doubts that this Tuggeranong project would ever reach fruition? Good morning to you.

Logan: Good morning Ross. I think it would be fair to say we both shared those doubts. I remember specifically an interview you did with Stephen Campbell, oh about 18 months ago, and you asked him what had he built to date. And he admitted quite honestly he hadn't built a thing. He hadn't built a dog kennel. He hadn't built a cubby house. He had proposed to build a couple of rinks in Adelaide. Both of those fell over. So I was certainly hopeful that we would get this one over the line. We had the government backing it. They'd allocated the land. They'd made public funding available. They worked patiently and tirelessly through all of the wants and the desires and the aspirations that not only the ACT ice sports community had, but also, to his credit, that Stephen Campbell and the developer Pelligra Group had about what they would build. And it's now come to naught. So, yes, I had my doubts, and yesterday's announcement wasn't unexpected, but it's still profoundly disappointing.

Solly: Yeah. I mean, it does seem, you know, Caitlin Tough, Taimus Werner-Gibbings, who will be joining us a little bit later on, they were frustrated in the end with the proponents. They seemed to think that they were continually shifting the goalposts.

Logan: They were.

Solly: They were? You agree?

Logan: Oh, undoubtedly.

Solly: Was it unreasonable though, Sandi Logan? Because obviously the site had some problems with it. It was a sloping site for starters, which would cost a lot of money. It wasn't going to be big enough for the amount of seating they wanted to put down there. So were their concerns unreasonable?

Logan: I think there are three things to say about their concerns. One is that they were not responsible for COVID. And COVID played a huge part in interrupting the progress and the momentum once they'd signed the heads of agreement and once the land had been made available.Two, when they actually then went and looked at the land and looked at the slope and looked at the trees and then there was new Heritage legislation that was introduced that had an impact on how many trees would need to come down and what the sanctioning costs would arise from that, that became a bit of a challenge. But then to throw in ideas that, oh because it in Tuggeranong it unacceptable, it’s got to be in Civic or to throw around you know “people don't want to have to travel that far” or “they don't want to go all the way to Tuggeranong” -- those were those were red herrings.And finally, sadly, but successfully for Canberra, I must say, the Canberra Brave has been so hugely successful for Mr. Campbell that, frankly, that dangly silver thing over there has captured his attention entirely. I understand that, but it's done nothing for the community in terms of participating in the ice sports, growing the ice sports and developing, as Mia says, not only today's champions, but tomorrow's as well.

Solly: The government says, Sandi, that it's negotiating still with the community. Would you have any problem if Stephen Campbell and his group are still involved? I mean, are they still the best people to see this one day come to fruition?

Logan: I think there are many ‘best people’ out there, Ross.

Solly: And you're concerned you don't care who it is as long as somebody gets the thing done?

Logan: Well, yes, we don't have a zac on the table in this. So it's a bit rich for us to be calling the shots on who should or should not be doing this. So we're just grateful that the government has made the decision -- not happy with it, profoundly disappointed -- but we're happy they've made the decision. They're still in the game. We're still in the game. As I said yesterday, it's a bit like an ice hockey match. We're into overtime and the first to score wins. And we need to keep playing.

Solly: Will this set back ice sports in Canberra, do you think?

Logan: Oh, yes, unquestionably. Thank goodness Geocon is maintaining the Phillip Ice facility, notwithstanding all of the concerns about its age and the quality of the ice and the size of the facility itself. It is the best ice rink in Canberra, 365 days of the year. At least we still have that, so we've got to be careful that we don't cut our noses off here despite our faces.

Solly: Good to catch up with you. Thank you.

Logan: Thanks Ross.

Solly: Sandi Logan, the ACT Ice Sports Federation spokesman. We'll talk to Stephen Campbell a little bit later on in the program.