Coupled with $5 million from last year’s budget, it means south-west residents will soon have a local treatment facility instead of having to travel hours to Melbourne, Geelong or Ballarat.

The funding is a huge boost, but an equally generous contribution from the federal government is now needed to achieve the ultimate goal of having a fully-staffed and equipped integrated cancer care centre in Warrnambool.

Premier and South West Coast MP Denis Napthine struggled to contain his emotion as he divulged the news early in an embargoed preview to community campaigner Vicki Jellie.

They hugged, recognising each other’s efforts, forgetting past tensions when community aspirations seemingly hit a government brick wall.

Peter's Project campaigners celebrate a major victory

Dr Napthine said his recent elevation to premier did not sway the deal. 

“This was already in the budget,” he said. “My government has listened.”

His voice quivered as he recalled conversations with mothers who decided not to leave their families to travel long distances for radiotherapy treatment.

“This issue is as important to the community as the rescue helicopter was,” he said.

“I know people who are alive today because of the chopper and in 10 years’ time I’ll know people who will be alive because a cancer treatment centre is here.

“This is a major step forward to ensure local cancer patients can remain close to home, family and their support networks when they are receiving this vital treatment, not alone hundreds of kilometres away in a city hospital room.

“We are all touched by cancer and live in hope that this treatment facility will ensure more people survive.”

Ms Jellie became a tireless campaigner to honour the wishes of her late husband Peter Jellie, who died of cancer in 2008.

GALLERY: The journey of Peter's Project

She helped form Peter’s Project committee, of which she is a director, and is likely to soon devote her energies full-time into a renewed fund-raising campaign to get $5m in local funds for the eventual construction of a cancer care centre.

“This budget announcement means so much to us — it’s a fantastic outcome,” she said tearfully.

“We were a group of amateurs who set out to make something good out of something sad.

“This is an emotional triumph which we have worked very hard to achieve.”

The budget commitment will fund two purpose-built radiotherapy bunkers with specialised treatment and diagnostic equipment, including a computerised tomography scanner and simulator.

Expressions of interest will be sought for construction, supply and delivery of the services at a site yet to be determined.

The former dental service house on Ryot Street, opposite the Warrnambool Base Hospital, has previously been touted in health circles as a suitable location.

Dr Napthine said federal government funding was vital to achieve the full goal of having the radiotherapy facility integrated with a dedicated cancer care centre, servicing from Colac to Millicent in South Australia. “We’d now like $10 million from the feds,” he said.

“The Peter’s Project committee will have $5 million and the state has put in $15 million.”

Dr Napthine said a review of cancer services in the south-west confirmed a clear need across the south-west and into South Australia to improve access to radiotherapy treatment, which usually took 15 to 30 minutes a day for up to six weeks at a time.

“A third of people diagnosed with cancer in the south-west are choosing not to have treatment because of the tyranny of distance,” he said.

“Research has shown the further you live from a radiotherapy centre your chance of survival is cut by 30 per cent.”

Radiotherapy uses high-energy radiation — either X-rays, gamma rays, electron beams or protons — to kill or damage cancer cells and stop them from growing and multiplying.

Treatment is localised to a specific part of the body and is prescribed by a specialist.

It can be given externally by a machine aiming radiation beams at the cancer spot or internally with a radiation source put inside the body. 

According to the Cancer Council of Victoria, research shows that at least one in two people recently diagnosed with cancer would benefit from radiotherapy.

Ms Jellie said there would still be about 15 per cent of cancer victims who would have to travel to major centres for specialised treatment, but 85 per cent of south-west victims would be able to use the Warrnambool facility.

She said the Peter’s Project team was preparing for a massive public campaign to reach the $5 million local target towards the proposed integrated cancer centre.

“By contributing to this, we as a community can take great pride in being an integral part of this much-needed facility and when it is built we can stand proudly together in our achievement,” she said.