Kiama MP Gareth Ward will move a motion in state parliament this week seeking to confirm Port Kembla as the NSW government's preferred location for Australia's nuclear submarine base.
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Mr Ward's motion will also request that the government prepare a bid on Port Kembla's behalf, over the other shortlisted sites of Newcastle and Brisbane.
He said the opportunity had the potential to "change our region for the better".
"Port Kembla is as much our region's manufacturing past as it can be our nation's future," Mr Ward said.
"I want our new subs in Port Kembla along with the enormous opportunity this presents for jobs and further investment."
Prime Minister Scott Morrison's announcement earlier this month that Port Kembla, alongside Newcastle and Brisbane, could house the country's nuclear submarine fleet is contentious.
"We will fight tooth and nail to prevent a nuclear target on our city," South Coast Labour Council secretary Arthur Rorris said.
The South Coast Labour Council has called for the proposal to be investigated as a priority by a future federal corruption inquiry.
Protests have also been held to condemn the proposal.
But Mr Ward is not alone in his support - Shoalhaven councillor Paul Ell wanted the council to support Port Kembla as the base, although his motion was knocked back.
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