A NEW aquatic centre is not on a short list of priorities for funding under Albury-Wodonga's Regional Deal.
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A form seen by The Border Mail flags 11 preferences of Albury and Wodonga councils from the federal package.
No.1 is advocating for a single Albury-Wodonga hospital that would contain a "women's and children's wing, critical care complex and a collaborative research and education centre".
Second is bolstering the city's Murray River frontage, which includes designing a "symbolic bridge crossing" and creating a "unique destination offering, unsurpassed elsewhere" on the waterway.
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Other priorities address manufacturing, education, the Aboriginal community, border anomalies and the circular economy.
Redeveloping the Albury Entertainment Centre, expanding the Lauren Jackson Sports Centre, through three competition courts, and Baranduda Fields are also mentioned, along with improving Albury airport for defence and emergency services.
Wodonga leader Kevin Poulton said then: "In terms of the actual detail of the list it is not appropriate to share with you at this point in time.
"That will happen, we hope, in the next month."
The lack of an aquatic centre on the short list has shocked Albury Council candidate Stuart Baker who is seeking to be elected on a platform of delivering a year-round swimming hub.
"I think it should be on the table somewhere," Mr Baker said.
"It might have to be an Albury City project if the regional deal is not looking at it.
"Albury City needs to look at its aquatic facilities anyway because this next council has to decide what it does with Lavington pool and the money spent there."
Mr Baker said he would not know if demand for an upgrade of the Lauren Jackson stadium was greater than that for an aquatic complex.
"I'm a bit interested in what the priorities are and how they arrived at them," he said.
"That's what I'd like to know, the methodology of how they're rated."
