Lake Macquarie City Council has a $54.6 million funding wish list it hopes will receive a mid-year boost when the NSW government hands down its budget later this month.
The council's acting CEO Tony Farrell wrote to NSW treasurer Daniel Mookhey in December with 22 projects seeking assistance.
The top projects in monetary terms were $8 million to repair the Swansea seawall and $8 million for the NSW government to replace the athletics track at the Hunter Sports Centre with a Rekortan synthetic surface.
That would enable the Glendale venue to serve as a potential training base for athletes leading into the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.
A 50-metre section of the Swansea seawall has been closed since 2021 due to public safety concerns over cracking and the unstable slope.
The council has previously advocated for the state government to repair the seawall, which is on Crown land.
"All we're saying is, 'Look, we've got interest in that and we want to see it repaired'," Lake Macquarie mayor Adam Shultz said of the Swansea seawall.
"We're asking them to allocate it to Crown Lands to fund the repair of the Swansea seawall.
"It's not our asset as such, but we want to see that come to fruition and be resolved."
The $52 million redevelopment of the Hunter Sports Centre was completed last year and featured a contribution of $13.5 million from the state government.
The Glendale venue boasts the state-of-the-art Trampoline Centre of Excellence and is capable of Olympic-level training. Cr Shultz said the facility had the opportunity to cater for elite athletics as well.
"In terms of the life of the track, I believe it's getting closer to the end of its useful life, so we will need an upgrade," he said.
"I think it's timely in terms of the Brisbane Olympics [in 2032] and potentially that site being an opportunity for athletes in the lead-up to the games."
The council's top-two priorities mirrored its submission for the federal budget in May.
They were for unspecified amounts of funding to assist in the economic and workforce transition of Australia's largest coal-fired power station, Eraring, which is due for closure in 2029.
The other focused on the reuse of mining land and specifically called for the former Macquarie Coal site at Teralba to be utilised as a staging zone for the future construction of the Newcastle to Sydney high-speed rail.
The council has also requested $3.3 million over four years to extend the Addressing Legacy Lead Contamination Program around the old Pasminco Cockle Creek smelter and $1 million to improve homelessness services in Lake Macquarie, particularly for women and children.
The continued redevelopment of the Belmont Sports Complex is another priority, with council seeking $6 million to upgrade the main entrance and complete the transformation of Les Miller Field into a multipurpose venue for AFL, cricket and baseball.
There is also a request for $8.45 million in funding split across learn-to-swim pools at Morisset ($3.2 million) and Swansea ($4.7 million) and a new fibreglass liner for Charlestown Swim Centre ($550,000).
The Toronto Foreshore Master Plan is another priority. The council has requested $4 million, which it will match, for the upgrade of the Wharf Road precinct.
The nearby Lyall Peacock Field, home of the Macquarie Scorpions and Toronto Awaba Stags, is also on the submission list, with $100,000 sought for the Toronto Sportsground Master Plan.
An allocation of $3.2 million is also sought for the masterplan and construction of the Charlestown Lions Park, which will include a playground, hit wall, multicourt, and other public amenities.
