The City of Ballarat unveiled its draft strategic plan to create 1000 jobs each year by 2021 at a breakfast on Friday morning.

On the list are major projects including the Eureka Stadium development, the Ballarat Basketball Stadium precinct, Ballarat Link Road connecting to the Glenelg Highway and the Ballarat West Employment Zone.

Some projects will still require government funding.

With many of these long-term projects underway council has also decided to prioritise Bakery Hill redevelopment and moving more jobs into the central business district.

This also includes lobbying for state and federal government jobs at the Civic Hall site.

Ballarat Mayor Samantha McIntosh said the CBD needed more attention following big projects in other areas of the city during the past few years.

“We have taken our foot off the pedal with our CBD,” she said.

“We as a council have decided to work diligently with the CBD strategy to unlock the potential which is there.

“The CBD is the heart and soul of Ballarat, we have a jewel in our crown which is the lake, but there are many parts to Ballarat which are significant to our business and tourism community.”

Cr McIntosh said CBD renewal will include Civic Hall, Bakery Hill, the railway station, Mair Street and a new car parking plan.

It was developed in consultation with the community and council staff in 2016.

The plan will be available to view from Monday and the community will have until 9am on May 1 to comment.

Other key items include renewable energy projects, changing Ballarat’s libraries into digital hubs and developing an aviation emergency services hub.

Council chief executive Justine Linley said spending could reach into the billions if more than council’s contribution was counted.

“Just in the economic portfolio we are talking about something in excess of $128 million worth of projects,” she said.

“If we put everything together we are talking in the billions.

“Clearly that is not just ratepayer money – it is really critical we do get support from the state government.

“We have got the plan, we know what has worked in the past and we have got a broad strategy – we just have to get onto that and get it done.”

The draft strategic plan was developed in three stages for the first time this year.

It has also named council’s core objectives for Ballarat – livability, prosperity, sustainability and accountability.

Cr McIntosh said Ballarat would need a strategy that did more than just create only 10 or 20 jobs.

“People will continue to see us pursue 4000 jobs for the CBD,” she said.

“We will entice government agencies to Ballarat and we will be targeting 1000 jobs to the CBD in one year.”

“If that is VicRoads, if that is another department, we will welcome it.”

The push for jobs received support from Western Victoria MP Joshua Morris, who said it was critically important government jobs were moved to Ballarat.