Wagga Wagga City Council has partnered with the Federal Government to deliver targeted transport and community infrastructure projects.
Federal Minister for Regional Development and Local Government, Kristy McBain, last week visited the city to inspect the progress of the projects and discuss the region’s priorities.
More than $18 million is flowing to the Council over the next five years under the Roads to Recovery (RTR) program.
This will fund a pipeline of future road improvements across the Wagga region, adding to RTR projects already completed – such as surface upgrades on Copland Street, Norton Street and Travers Street.
“The City of Wagga Wagga is responsible for delivering critical services to a large region, which is why it’s important to partner across levels of government to ensure our community receives the support and funding we need and deserve,” said Mayor, Dallas Tout.
“We welcome the Australian Government’s Roads to Recovery program in particular, boosting much-needed funding for us to deliver safety improvements to Wagga’s road network, which will benefit those in our community that drive on our roads daily.”
Through Phase 4 of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) program, the Council received $3.2 million for local priority projects.
This supported upgrades to the surface of Byrnes Road – the main link between Wagga and Junee, with the $200,000 project completed earlier this year – fully funded by the Federal Government.
Construction of a new steel and concrete structure to replace the ageing timber bridge on Killicks Road is currently underway and set for completion mid-next year – with the $412,000 LRCI project fully funded by the Federal Government.
The Council was also a successful applicant under Round 1 of the Growing Regions program, with $4.4 million in Australian Government funding to go towards the development of the Lake Albert Water Sports and Event Precinct – funding that will be matched by Council.
This project is set to transform one of Wagga’s most popular recreational sites, ensuring that Lake Albert has a consistently high water level to support a variety of water sports and events year round.
“It was fantastic to visit the Wagga region and see upgrades to road safety and community infrastructure progressing, with significant funding increases from the Albanese Government supporting a pipeline of future works,” said Minister McBain.
“This is a region that’s fast-growing and it’s important that all levels of government are rowing in the same direction, which is why I’ll continue to work with Wagga Wagga City Council to support the delivery of their priority projects.”
