Warrnambool City Council says Reid Oval upgrades will begin in 2020

Former Western Victoria MP James Purcell secured $7 million in state government funding for the redevelopment ahead of last year's election.

It came after a decades long push to upgrade the ailing facilities to become the south-west's premier ground, suitable to host an Australian Football League practise match. 

Last year former chief executive officer Bruce Anson said the project would cost $12.5 million. 

A council spokesman said the oval redevelopment was a major project and had many stages aside from on-ground work.

"It is anticipated on-ground work will begin in mid-2020 and be completed by April 2022," the spokesman said.

The spokesman said the council had a number of steps to work through with stakeholders and the ground's user groups before construction began.

These include: finalising the funding agreements, continue to engage with affected clubs and key stakeholders, establishing a Project Working Group, identifying project management roles and recruiting for these roles, negotiating for and confirming additional non-government funding, engaging a quantity surveyor to begin the procurement process, reaching an agreement on relocation arrangements, developing a design brief and beginning a design tender process, implementing club relocations, reviewing the draft design documentation, developing documentation required for the construction phase, hiring constructors through a tender process, including negotiations, and awarding the contracts. 

The city council spokesman said it was anticipated a designer would be appointed in July or August this year.

He said discussions with the AFL, Cricket Australia and user groups to make up the extra $1 million for the first stage of upgrades was ongoing and advised preliminary negotiations had also started with clubs who are based at the oval about where they would move to during the works.

The spokesman said preliminary discussions had also occurred about out how the oval usage time would be reduced from 28 hours to 20 after the upgrades are complete.