A WARRNAMBOOL fisherman who has previously been vocal about the city council's negligence with regard to the harbour has changed his tune.
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Rod Blake said he was delighted the state government had committed $420,000 towards a much-needed upgrade of the city's notorious boat ramp.
"The council previously applied for three lots of funding and they got nothing," Mr Blake said. "This is solely because the applications weren't prepared properly by the city council when they were put forward to the state government. Now they have a new approach from Scott Cavanagh, Tony Herbert and the new chief executive officer whose work behind the scenes has improved our chances of receiving funding."
Mr Blake said he believed their actions had resulted in the funding win.
"Our mayor at the moment, he is a very progressive fellow and I want to congratulate him for his enthusiasm," he said. Mr Blake said an upgrade of the boat ramp would make it safer for local and visiting fishermen.
"We're finally getting somewhere - it's solid ground we're working on now," he said.
Fisherman Neville Dance, who has been behind the push for an upgrade for more than two decades, said it was a step in the right direction.
"The funding is for the design that needs to be done before any construction can happen," Mr Dance said.
"I'm extremely enthusiastic about where this is heading. "There's still a couple of bridges to cross but this is now heading in the right direction."
Mr Dance said an upgraded boat ramp would be great for locals and visitors alike.
"You should never count your chickens before they hatch but it has the potential and ability to bring a considerable cash injection to the city of Warrnambool," he said.
Steve Tippett, who has also been a vocal advocate for an upgrade, also welcomed the funding announcement. "If you get a safer facility down there you will get an influx of people - the whole town will benefit," he said.
Opposition spokeswoman for ports and freight Roma Britnell said she was pleased the government had finally listened and made a start on the long awaited and much-needed project. However, she was concerned there was no commitment to funding beyond the initial planning works.
"The community has been advocating for this for many, many years," Ms Britnell said.
"The wheels have started to turn, but they are turning slowly. I want Minister Pulford to give a rock solid guarantee there will be money available when the planning work is completed."
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