About $77 million worth of "shovel-ready" projects are on Warrnambool City Council's wish-list which it will begin campaigning for.
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Councillors will vote on Monday at their September 4 meeting on whether to endorse the list of projects it will seeking state and federal government funding for.
Among the projects in the council's sights are upgrades to Lake Pertobe, the whale viewing platform and staircase, Lighthouse Theatre roof, walking tracks and a footbridge over the Merri River.
Protecting the future of the city's iconic breakwater - a state government asset - was also high on its agenda.
To cater for housing development, the council also wants a major multi-million-dollar upgrade of Wollaston Road. Two of Raglan Parade's most dangerous intersections would also be targeted.
Expansion of the city's kinders and child-care centres and, more importantly, expansion of the workforce to help address the shortage, was a top priority.
Included in the $77 million worth of projects is a staged $50 million project to set Warrnambool up as a Clean Energy Centre of Excellence at the city's Deakin University campus.
A joint project between South West Institute of Tafe and the university, the council is throwing its support behind the idea and will advocate to see it come to fruition.
The council is keen for Warrnambool to be seen as the centre for renewable energy given there was already so much wind energy in the south-west.
Mayor Debbie Arnott said it set Warrnambool up to be a real hub.
"We will be a place where everyone wants to come and work. It's great," she said.
"You might find something like this really puts Warrnambool on the world map too. It's really lifting our profile no doubt."
Cr Arnott said it was a "win-win" for the city and it might attract more students to the area.
With funding from both the state and federal governments tightening up after the pandemic, the council is looking to sharpen its advocacy work with the selected projects .
It also wants to get the community to get onboard and get behind the projects.
In the wake of the Commonwealth Games being scrapped, the council is hoping to capitalise on the promised $2 billion in state government funding that would be handed out in its place.
Other bigger-scale projects such as a new pool, art gallery and community hub at Brierly Recreation Reserve were also projects the council would add to its advocacy list of priorities when the planning and costings had been completed.
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Katrina Lovell
Katrina Lovell is a senior journalist at The Standard who covers council news and human interest stories.
Katrina Lovell is a senior journalist at The Standard who covers council news and human interest stories.
