The Federal Government is providing a funding boost for key transport and infrastructure projects in the Wagga region.
As part of the government’s commitment to improve road safety, over $18 million is flowing to Wagga Wagga City Council over the next five years under the Roads to Recovery (RTR) program – a boost of $7.7 million from the Federal Government.
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.
Through Phase 4 of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) program, Wagga Wagga City Council is receiving over $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 in 2024.
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-2025 – with the $412,000 LRCI project fully funded by the Federal Government.
Wagga Wagga City Council is also a successful applicant under Round 1 of the Growing Regions program, with $4.4 million in federal funding to go towards the development of the Lake Albert Water Sports and Event Precinct – funding that will be matched by Council.
This project will 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.
As part of the government’s commitment to help local governments turbocharge planning to deliver more homes sooner, $420,000 is being delivered to Wagga Wagga City Council under Stream 1 of the Housing Support Program.
This will support the Council’s Smaller Scale Second Home Initiative, which will encourage uptake of secondary dwellings on existing residential blocks.
Federal Minister for Regional Development and Local Government, Kristy McBain, said, “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.”
Wagga Wagga City Council Mayor, Dallas Tout, said that Council is responsible for delivering critical services to a large region, which is why it’s important to partner across levels of government to ensure the community receives the support and funding it needs and deserves.
“We welcome the Federal 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.”
Image: Ausdrones by WilljH/shutterstock.com
