More than $250,000 from council and the Victorian Government will be used for plans to redevelop Aquatic Reserve, the Onion Patch and to investigate how to better improve riverfront access.
Regional Development Minister Jaclyn Symes was in town to announce State Government funding of $150,000 for the plans, with council to contribute $110,000 to capitalise on river vistas and bolster tourism numbers.
"The Echuca riverfront is a great asset to one of our historic tourist towns and it’s exciting to announce the next phase of the riverfront’s development to bring more visitors as well as creating fantastic new facilities for the community," Ms Symes said.
"Echuca is already home to some fantastic events such as the Riverboats Music Festival and this business case will look at the kinds of facilities that can be put in place to help the town secure more events into the future."
As part of the business case and design works, improved river access, upgrading pedestrian tracks along the river and better facilities in Aquatic Reserve to support events will be investigated.
Mayor Adrian Weston said this would give council a stronger case to present to state and federal governments for extra funding.
"The business case is critical and we appreciate this announcement," Cr Weston said.
"It's fantastic and means we can go ahead and do the more detailed design and planning of aquatic reserve.
"To have that set of plans allows us to have a conversation with the state and federal governments about how much funding they may be prepared to contribute to redevelopment."
Cr Weston said while the funding announcement focused on the Onion Patch and Aquatic Reserve, the plan would provide a clearer direction for the whole riverfront.
"Once stage one and two of the riverfront redevelopment are finished, we'll be looking to do some work downstream around Vic Park," he said.
"That includes works happening with the second river crossing, once those are completed we'll understand the new dynamic that's created through the space."
Consultants Urban Enterprise will develop the business case which is expected to begin soon.
"The consultants have already been appointed and so they will commence very shortly in this joint project with Campaspe Shire and things will develop reasonably quickly," Ms Symes said.
"Echuca is a beautiful town that attracts about 800,000 visitors a year but some of the facilities are a bit tired and access to the river is obstructed.
"So ensuring we can activate the space and proved better movement for pedestrians and vehicles alike.
"It's a significant investment for a relatively small shire because they recognise that spending money in Echuca is going to benefit the community, attract visitors and, in turn, boost the local economy.
"And this will ensure it's a purpose-built facility with the right infrastructure and landscaping to benefit locals and visitors alike."
The investment comes from the Victorian Government’s $103 million Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund.
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