Mr Clark welcomed Kiama MP Gareth Ward's comments last week that the new bridge over the Shoalhaven River should be the signal to start development of the riverside, possibly including building hotels, houses, restaurants and recreational businesses close to the water.

In fact, Mr Clark invited Mr Ward, the state government and his federal counterparts to be part of the journey and provide funding to ensure any future plans can come to fruition.

"There is strong community support for the activation of the riverfront and council supports that," Mr Clark said.

"The construction of the new bridge, as the key entry into this precinct, provides a significant opportunity and will be a key driver for the change."

The council has been working for the past couple of years in a concerted manner on a potential new land use masterplan for the riverfront precinct, producing the Nowra Riverfront Leisure and Entertainment Precinct - Strategic Direction: Review and Analysis in 2017 and the Nowra Riverfront and Entertainment Precinct - Proposed Planning Controls in 2018/19.

"The riverfront precinct is certainly front and centre of council's thoughts and agenda. We have been working with landowners and other levels of government to get that precinct activated," Mr Clark said.

"We have on numerous occasions during the past five years applied for funding but for one reason or another have been unsuccessful.

"But we will continue to push the case for development on the precinct and will continue to apply for the relevant funding opportunities."

He said while the council had been working on a potential new land use masterplan for the precinct, a lot depended on the final planning of the new river crossing.

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"Now Fulton Hogan has been appointed to design and construct the new crossing, council hopes to be able to get that finer detail which has delayed moving forward on the masterplan," he said.

"We will be able to move forward and see what changes to the masterplan and Local Environment Plan may be required and what potential infrastructure changes for the area, like new roads etc, will be needed to set the precinct up for redevelopment.

"We had to wait for the final design for the new bridge and also updated flood modelling and associated work for the Shoalhaven River floodplain."

Shoalhaven City Council's online mapping shows the major areas, at least around the southern side of the river, are zoned mixed use, tourist, public recreation and low and medium density residential.

"It may need changes to zonings to be made - yes council can look at making changes but they also have to be agreed to by the state," he said.

"Yes council takes the lead but also needs direct and indirect support from state and potentially federal governments in terms of planning, support and funding."

Despite being located on a major waterway, the Shoalhaven River, because of its historic development, Nowra does not currently have an active waterfront like a lot of other river towns.

"Activation of the riverfront, with large north facing precincts presents perhaps the largest significant mixed use opportunity (residential, commercial, recreational) in the Shoalhaven," he said.

"Council has resolved to start initial preparatory work to clarify the infrastructure required to support the future development of the precinct and inform a possible Contributions Plan Amendment for new road, drainage and open space infrastructure projects and consider a subsequent report on this aspect that details the funding required to advance the infrastructure design work and identify a council funding source."

The NSW Government's current Illawarra-Shoalhaven Regional Plan also identifies a clear desire to 'activate the waterfront' on the location.

"To achieve this the Regional Plan identifies the importance of coordinating local and state Infrastructure as the two current dominant landowners in this precinct are the NSW government and Shoalhaven City Council," Mr Clark said.

"Council will continue to put this precinct forward at every chance for NSW or federal government funding opportunities, as we have already done, to help assist with the realisation of a new mixed use precinct in this location."

Mr Clark said council hopes to meet with Mr Ward in coming weeks to discuss the precinct and the role the NSW government can play in helping council.