Council News #437 - 18 March 2023

Wagga Wagga City Council weekly newsletter

Our city’s Agile Library vans reach a milestone!

Saturday 18 March 2023 |

Issue #437

Wagga Wagga City Council is asking motorists to take extra care when travelling along Coolamon Road, with civil works machinery and crews expected to begin heavy patching of 10 localised pavement failures next week, weather permitting.

Council’s teams have been working through a backlog of both temporary and more long-term repairs to roads across our Local Government Area in the wake of last year’s prolonged wet weather and flooding events.

Director Infrastructure Services Warren Faulkner said the pavement failures on Coolamon Road resulted from the road being used as the detour for Sturt Highway traffic for approximately 8-10 weeks prior to Christmas 2022.

“Coolamon Road carried a lot of heavy traffic while the Sturt Highway was closed between Collingullie and Narrandera due to flooding of the Murrumbidgee River,” Mr Faulkner said.

“We erected traffic control signs and reduced speed limits at the pavement failures whilst the road was being used as the Sturt Highway detour to warn motorists of the hazard and inform the driver of a safe speed to traverse them. Those signs are still in place.

OUT & ABOUT: The Agile Library service takes Storytime to the community, attending events like Spring Jam at the Botanic Gardens.

Wagga Wagga City Library’s custom-designed Agile Library vans, initially launched in July 2022, have covered more than 14,000 kilometres, visiting 18 regular sites including nine villages and a huge variety of community groups and events.

Our city’s two colourful vans are a key part of the library’s new Agile Library service, with borrowing and engagement trends showing they are enabling the library to connect with more residents no matter where they live across the Local Government Area.

Library Services Manager Christine Bolton said the Agile Library service has increased community access to library collections and programs, resulting in 4000 items being loaned from our Agile Library vans, with kids' books twice as popular as books for adults.

“Library officers have shared 378 picture books at 84 Storytime sessions for preschools, playgroups, families and festivals, actively supporting the development of children’s early literacy skills,” Ms Bolton said.

“Since moving to the new model, Wagga Wagga City Library has seen a 24 per cent increase in library visitation and a 163 per cent increase in the number of new memberships compared

to the same period last year.

“That is an average of 343 new members joining each month since July 2022.”

Outreach Services Team Leader Wendy Harper said community program highlights include facilitating a workshop at the Wagga Wagga Men’s Shed demonstrating how to access our online services, and delivering Stop Motion Animation Workshops at Galore and Humula.

“The library has been able to offer a more accessible range of programs and resources to the community, including library services to culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities through the LEAP (Learn English and Play) program and partnering with TAFE Riverina to deliver Storytime sessions for their CALD Playgroup,” Ms Harper said.

“The Agile Library service also supports First Nations Playgroups at Tolland and Kooringal in collaboration with NSW Health, Intereach and Playgroups NSW.

“It has also delivered a national pilot for First Nations Tech Savvy Seniors at three suburban neighborhood centers, funded by TELSTRA and State Library NSW.

“Other highlights for community participation have been events such as Spring Jam, Fusion Botanical and Storytime in the Park, as well as

supporting the youth led Back-to-School Party at the Tolland Hub in January this year.”

Wagga Wagga City Library thanks residents for their on-going support and community groups for enthusiastically engaging with the Agile Library service.

If you are a community group, school or childcare service located in the Wagga Wagga Local Government Area and would like to learn more about the Agile Library service, please contact the library on 6926 9700.

“Council is disappointed Transport for NSW has not undertaken any repairs of the damage which is directly attributable to the detour of the Sturt Highway.”

Over the last two months, Council has completed the rehabilitation and repair of 14 segments of road, totalling 18.5-kilometres, at a cost of $8.5-million, as well as $1-million of flood repair works to the local road network.

More road works are planned in the lead up to winter, including rehabilitation of a 500-metre stretch of Bomen Road in the industrial estate, and MacLeay Street between Erin Street and Urana Street, as well as the asphalting of a number of roundabouts and intersections across the city.

Council is working with contractors to schedule these works and will inform the community once details are finalised.

“We ask that motorists drive to the conditions, noting that the road network is going through a significant program of repair and rehabilitation.”

VALUED WORK: Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Cr Dallas Tout, Cr Dan Hayes, and representatives from the Wagga RSL Club and Rules Club Wagga with the successful ClubGRANTS recipients in 2022.

If your community initiative, program or service would benefit from a funding boost, the ClubGRANTS Category One Funding administered by Wagga Wagga City Council is now open. ClubGRANTS allows registered clubs with annual gaming machine revenue exceeding one-million dollars to allocate a percentage of those funds towards supporting local needs.

The participating clubs in our Local Government Area are the Wagga RSL Club and Rules Club Wagga Wagga. The main priorities for the 2023 funding will be mental health support initiatives, prevention and support of homelessness, domestic and family violence programs, and First Nations support programs.

Other funding priorities include women and family health, childcare services, aged and veteran services, all-abilities programs, disadvantaged young people, and transport services for identified social needs.

Council’s Director Community Janice Summerhayes is encouraging not-for-profit groups in the community to put in an application now.

“The ClubGRANTS scheme is an opportunity for valued groups and services that may not have been able to secure financial assistance through other means to access funding support,” Ms Summerhayes said.

“If your program or initiative falls within the identified priority areas, head to wagga.nsw.gov.au/clubgrants and submit your application.”

Last year, 14 local not-for-profit community groups and charities shared in $90,491 in ClubGRANTS funding. Details of the 2022 successful applicants can be found in a link on the ClubGRANTS page.

Applications for the 2023 scheme can be made online until 5pm, Friday 28 April 2023 at wagga.nsw.gov. au/clubgrants or contact Council’s Community Directorate on 1300 292 442 during business hours.

Open Studio Gallery SAT 18 MAR, 10AM - 3PM Art Studio, 11 Small St. P. 0413 786 209

Riverina (Dis)Ability Expo SAT 18 MAR, 10AM - 4PM

Demonstration Gardens – Vegetable Swap or Buy

SAT 18 MAR, 8AM - 12PM

Demonstration Gardens, Cnr Shaw St & Albury St. P. 0411 417 956

Tarcutta Markets

SAT 18 MAR, 8AM - 1PM

Tarcutta Soldiers Memorial Hall P. 0477 472 154

The third and final shared pathways community survey closes soon, with Council keen to hear residents’ views on Wagga Wagga’s networked cycling and walking shared pathway infrastructure, including the progressing Active Travel Plan project.

The community’s responses to the final survey will provide valuable information to a research project which assesses the community health and wellbeing impacts of the city-wide active travel infrastructure rollout.

Strategic Asset Planner (Parks and Recreation) Ben Creighton thanked residents who have completed the survey, and reminded people who haven't had their say yet, to complete the survey before Friday 31 March.

“This research is the first of its kind for a regional Active Travel project, and so the information being sought is quite important for future active travel plans in Wagga Wagga and paves the way for other regional areas,” Mr Creighton said. “Wagga Wagga is the only place we are aware of that has rolled out city-wide infrastructure to this extent in such a short time frame, so the community is in a unique situation.

“The anonymous 10-minute survey is investigating whether a major infrastructure rollout like ours, which rapidly increases accessibility across the city, has a bigger impact on community perceptions of safety and active travel behaviour compared to a piece-bypiece approach to building cycleways.”

Council is interested in finding out if people are using the pathways to walk or run, cycle, how their habits may have changed in the last 12 months, and whether more people are jumping on the bike with their kids on the weekend or leaving their car at home to cycle to work.

“We’re keen to hear from cyclists and non-cyclists alike because we’re also interested in why some people might be hesitant to start riding and see if there’s something we can do to address that,” Mr Creighton said.

“Do people feel safe when riding on

Cyanotype (Sun Print) | 16+ Workshop SAT 18 MAR, 10.30AM - 4.30PM

Unique Art Space, 43 Tompson St. P. 0437 699 995

The Alchemist's Jar

shared pathways? Are there barriers to regular use and suggestions on how we could alleviate them?”

The survey is a result of Council’s continuing partnership with Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD), the University of Sydney, iMOVE Australia and Transport for NSW. Survey results will be analysed by the University of Sydney.

The shared pathways community survey is now open, closing 5pm, Friday 31 March 2023

Meet Midori, who is ready to mesmerize you with her beautiful green eyes.

This two-year-old Domestic Shorthair is full of love, which is reflected in her sweet nature.

Midori (ImpC23/0169) is available for adoption for $262 fee, which includes desexing, vaccination, worming, FIV test, microchipping, lifetime registration and an ID tag.

Vacancies

Kyeamba Smith Hall, 27 Bourke St. P. 1300 252 257

Festival of Concert Bands – Workshops SAT 18 MAR, 10AM - 4.30PM & 4.40PM - 6PM, SUN 19 MAR, 9AM - 10AM Riverina Conservatorium of Music, 1 Simmons St. P. 6925 3522

SAT 18 MAR, 11AM & 7PM CSU Riverina Playhouse, 8 Cross St. P. 6926 9688

Travelling

Film Festival SAT 18 MARSUN 19 MAR

Forum 6 Cinemas, 77 Trail St. P. 6921 6863

Forever 80s – Best of the 80s Tour SAT 18 MAR, 8PM

Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre, Burns Way.

P. 6926 9688

Wagga Wagga Road Runners – Saturday Runs

SAT 18 MAR, 7.30AM Pomingalarna Reserve, Bagley Dr. waggaroadrunners. com/runs

Willans Hill Miniature Railway Rides

Road

Concert