A new football and cricket oval or a gymnastics centre are just some of the options that could be considered for the future use of land next to Warrnambool's athletics track.
The BrauerAnder athletics facility - which is located within the RossAnder Park precinct - is undergoing a $2.6 million revamp but once it is complete, attention will turn to what the rest of the vacant land could be used for.
One of the trustees of the BrauerAnder Park Foundation, Vern Robson, said the foundation was hoping to begin discussions with the council later in the year.
While the regional athletics complex is subject to a 50-year lease with the Education Department, Mr Robson said there was about eight-and-a-half acres of unused land surrounding it that had been set aside for recreational use.
"It's zoned for recreational purposes. We're open to discussions," he said.
"There is room for a full-scale football/cricket arena to go in the 8.5 acres of undeveloped land."
Mr Robson said another full-sized oval was something the city would need in the next decade.
He said the growth of the city had been enormous and more people would need access to recreational facilities.
"We'd need to have discussions with Warrnambool City Council about what are the long-term recreational needs," he said.
Mr Robson said he was hoping to talk to the council and the incoming chief executive officer to work through whether the spare land could play a role.
The athletics track was constructed about 15 years ago but the land around it had sat unused since then.
The athletics track was part of the first stage of works at the site, and Mr Robson said the previous council had earmarked part of the land to house a new gymnastics centre for the city.
"The council put in applications for a grant for that but they weren't successful in getting funding," he said
"When the drainage and sewerage went in for the Geoff Handbury pavilion, all of the sewerage requirements for a gymnastics centre were built in."
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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.
