A new skate park for Wollongong, drainage for the region's sports fields and hundreds of patched up roads are among the projects set to be delivered by Wollongong City Council in the next year.
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The council has outlined its $327.8m draft budget and delivery programme before it goes in front of councillors on Monday, April 3.
The documents outline every piece of work planned by council in the financial year and residents have the opportunity to provide feedback on the plans throughout April.
Among the 630 infrastructure deliver program projects set to be tackled in the next 12 months are eight parks to be created or renewed, including a new skate park in Wollongong and the design work for a skate park in Thirroul.
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The $166.5m program will also see replacement playgrounds built in Stanwell Park, Riley Park in Unanderra, Lang Park in Wollongong, Southspur Reserve in Cordeaux Heights.
Sport facilities will be given a $1m upgrade with drainage and irrigation planned for Judy Masters Park Sportsground, drainage at Lakelands Oval in Dapto and at Russell Vale's Cawley Park.
While almost $12.3m will be spent on maintaining and repairing streets and $10.7m on footpaths, cycle ways and shared paths.
The budget includes building a new shared cycle path which would connect North Beach to North Wollongong Station and beyond into Fairy Meadow.
Other hot ticket items in the budget include design work for a new car park on Swan Street, the reconstruction of Bulli Tourist Park car park and $550,000 for the upgrade to Warrawong CBD.
More than $7.5m is earmarked for upgrading and improving storm water management, a need that was highlighted with recent wet weather.
"There are some big challenges before us and we do these, these these types of investment in storm water management, dealing with climate change and so on," Lord Mayor of Wollongong, Gordon Bradbery said.
"They're big big expenditure items. They are very costly exercises and not only that, it involves everything from building more detention basins, servicing the detention basins, clearing drains, making sure our waterways are are not encroached upon and things of that nature."
He added that while storm water management wasn't the most exciting of projects it was needed as the region faced climate change.
"The whole thing is one that is a great impost upon this city, but council has taken it seriously, especially since 98. There has been a massive investment in storm water mitigation and management and rain drainage as well with playing fields," he said.
"It means that we're just going to have to continue to invest in the way we manage storm water and it's not only about storm water, but also we're facing sea level rises and climate change."
The full budget papers are available on Wollongong City Council's website with feedback from the community invited before May 2.
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