BENDIGO'S council has released a wish list for the state budget as conversations about the Commonwealth Games begin behind closed doors.
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The City of Greater Bendigo has begun regular discussions with the government about what might be needed to make 2026's Commonwealth Games a success but at this stage is seeking more information.
It means no Commonwealth Games projects have made it onto the council's wish list publicly released ahead of next Tuesday's state budget.
That has not stopped it from asking for millions of dollars in state government funding for a host of budget projects.
Top of the list is money for a Bendigo Art Gallery redevelopment to host more blockbuster exhibitions, as well as redevelopments of a busy Epsom intersection many residents have labeled dangerous.
They want major changes around the Howard Street and Midland Highway intersection to help ease pressures in a growing section of the city.
The council says "significant" planning is needed to redevelop the intersection, which is close to a busy shopping centre, school and a future KFC outlet.
Money is also needed to plan ways to move trucks out of Marong. The council is eyeing potential work on a 4km stretch of the Calder Alternative Highway south of the township.
Other projects on the list include Calder Highway upgrades and money to redevelop the Golden Dragon Museum.
The council is also pushing for money to upgrade the North Bendigo Recreation Reserve.
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Mayor Andrea Metcalf said the government had been in regular contact with the government about a range of projects on its wish list.
"We are ready to get straight to work to deliver the benefits for our community and the wider region," she said in a media release.
Premier Daniel Andrews has previously said he is open to new infrastructure spending in Bendigo.
He used an interview on election priorities last November to say Bendigo voters should expect fresh builds should his government win election in 2022.
"You can't be complacent, you must keep investing, you must keep building," he said during a discussion about how such spends could underpin economic confidence during the post-pandemic rebuild.
The government's announcement two weeks ago that Bendigo would be among regional hubs to host Commonwealth games events could add extra impetus for any upgrades.
It remains unclear exactly what might need to be built, or redeveloped, in Bendigo for the games.
A coalition of regional councils including Greater Bendigo's has already invoked the games in a funding push to help win world heritage listings for Victoria's goldfields.
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