Wagga Wagga City Council has received a Highly Commended Leo Kelly OAM Arts and Culture Award at the 2026 Local Government Week Awards for its Cultural Plan 2020-2030 – Midway Report 2025.
The Report is a review by Council staff on the progress that has been made on the Cultural Plan 2020-2030 at the halfway point of its 10-year implementation.
Director Community, Environment & Partnerships, Christine Priest said it was great a result for Wagga Wagga City Council to be recognised for the achievements of the Cultural Plan to date.
“Major actions of the plan that have been completed since its development include the redevelopment of the Museum of the Riverina’s Botanic Gardens site which includes a permanent exhibition of Wiradjuri/Wiradyuri First Nations objects, the launch of the Agile Library Service and the completion of Riverside Stage 2,” said Ms Priest.
The Council was also nominated for 2026 Local Government Week Awards for its WELCOME Refugee Week project, Festival of W 2025, Wagga Wagga Youth Week 2026 Program and Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre’s Traineeship Program.
The WELCOME project, delivered in early 2025, involved six young people from multicultural backgrounds, who participated in a series of workshops to design street flags that were displayed along Baylis Street during Refugee Week.
Festival of W, held annually during winter, activates the Wagga Wagga CBD during a typically quiet time of year, drawing an estimated 100,000 visitors in 2025 and generating $20M in total economic impact.
Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre’s Traineeship Program was established four years ago and has since employed nine young people across full-time and school-based traineeships in technical production, front-of-house operations and marketing.
To view the Cultural Plan 2020-2030 – Midway Report 2025 and to learn more about Wagga Wagga City Council’s arts and cultural initiatives, visit Council’s website.
