Regional cancer centre confirms it will seek donation from Albury Council

The confirmation of a call on ratepayers' funds follows the city considering a motion at this month's meeting to give the centre $410,000.

After debate, the council decided to request the Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre Trust Fund to submit a funding bid.

The trust fund's secretary Geoff Smith said an application would be lodged, but he declined to nominate an amount.

He said the $410,000 figure had not come from the trust which had not communicated with the council before the meeting.

"We were surprised and interested to see what that figure was," Mr Smith said.

Former mayor Kevin Mack told councillors that the trust fund was battling to meet its $2 million target with $500,000 raised to date.

"I just believe that this particular project has stalled significantly due to other fundraising initiatives in the region and...we as a regional council have a role to play in sending a clear message to other regional councils and other communities that this is a worthwhile project and we need to consider supporting this….because what cost do we put on the health of others?" Cr Mack said.

Mr Smith disputed the suggestion that fundraising has stalled, pointing to the trust's corporate friends program which has drawn $600,000 in pledges with only eight companies approached to date.

"We're probably a third of the way, but we're pretty confident we'll make that ($2 million goal)," he said.

Albury deputy mayor David Thurley wants other Border councils also solicited by the trust.

"This is a regional council facility – Wodonga, Indigo, Greater Hume – they need to come to the party as well," Cr Thurley said.

Mr Smith said the trust would consider approaching other councils for contributions.

"The Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre obviously has a footprint in some directions of a couple of hundred kilometres of radius, so we could be looking at those aspects," Mr Smith said.