The city council should not be distracted by funding for a coastal processes study and ought to give the state government an ultimatum for funding for a safer launching and retrieval project at Warrnambool harbour, councillor Michael Neoh says.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Cr Neoh will present a notice of motion to next Monday’s council meeting calling for it to give the state government a deadline of October 1 to come up with funding for the safer launching project.
He said the council would be applying for the third time for state funds for the project and if no funds were received by October 1, it should hand back responsibility for the harbour.
Cr Neoh also called on the state to provide a maintenance and renewal schedule and funding plan by October 1 to secure the protection of Warrnambool breakwater.
“We are in a rate capping environment.
“It would be inappropriate for us to take on liabilities without a state commitment,” Cr Neoh said.
He said the council had not requested the $330,000 the state government recently allocated for a study of coastal processes to investigate how coastal erosion could be mitigated and managed in the harbour area.
Cr Neoh said the study had no relevance to the council’s bid to improve safety for the launching and retrieval of boats at Warrnambool harbour.
“We want people to get in safely.
“We do not want to confuse the issue with another sand study,” Cr Neoh said.
He said if no state funding was received for the safer launching project by October 1, the council should also hand back responsibility for undertaking any further studies and implementing any identified projects arising from such studies.
The council voted in March to lobby state politicians in the run up to the November state election for more funding to upgrade the harbour.
The $330,000 grant for a coastal processes study was announced by independent Upper House MP James Purcell who had pressed the state government about upgrading the harbour.
But Mr Neoh said Mr Purcell and the state government needed to be reminded the safer launching project was the council’s priority for the harbour.