One-way traffic along Grafton Road was trialled last year and will become a permanent fixture.

The road will be open as usual for those heading to the races, but it will become one way from 2pm onwards.

The road is divided with patrons able to catch taxis and buses from the lane closest to the course or collected from the far lane.

Warrnambool Racing Club chief executive Peter Downs said small changes had been made this year including better signage at pick-up and parking points. "It went excellent last year," he said. "We've had a lot of discussions with all the contractors who were very happy with it and with the feedback we got from police, we made a couple of tweaks and improved it again."

Sergeant Chris Brown, from Warrnambool police, said there would be a visible police presence at the track, in the CBD and licensed premises during the carnival. Melbourne units, including the mounted branch, will also be on hand.

Police will target drunkenness and public order and traffic units will be on the look out for traffic-related and drink driving offences.

Sergeant Brown said police would monitor protesters and expects any action to be similar to previous years.

"If they do show up they have the right to protest as long as it's done civilly. We're pretty lucky that it's an event that goes off very well each year, so we certainly don't anticipate anything out of the ordinary," Sergeant Brown said.

He said police wanted patrons to enjoy the racing and carnival festivities responsibly.

"We hope and expect people are here to enjoy themselves and have a good time, but the message is to look out for one another, to be mindful of how much they drink and to be there for the right reasons," Sergeant Brown said.

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