INSIDE: SPRING JAM THIS WEEKEND, INLAND RAIL: HAVE YOUR SAY + MORE
Council News
THIS IS A PAID ADVERTISING FEATURE BY WAGGA WAGGA CITY COUNCIL
Weekly newsletter from Wagga Wagga City Council
First Printed Saturday 24 September 2022 | Issue #415
SPRING JAM IS TODAY Wagga Wagga’s biggest outdoor festival dedicated to kids, Spring Jam, is ready to entertain and engage youngsters with a big day of outdoor adventure. Continued inside
READY TO ENTERTAIN: Council’s Destination and Events Coordinator Sophie Gairn said creative minds will run wild creating floral masterpieces at the ‘Imaginary Botanical Workshop'.
Council endorses submission to Inland Rail Environmental Impact Statement Council will make a submission on the Albury to Illabo Inland Rail (A21) section Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which raises “several fundamental problems with the accuracy and completeness of the assessment”.
At their Ordinary Meeting on Monday night, 19 September, Councillors endorsed the submission based on the findings of a critical review by Council staff of the EIS prepared by the Australian Rail Track Corporation Limited (ARTC), and an analysis of potential Inland Rail impacts. Inland Rail is a nationally significant project with the strategic ability to link producers, farmers and businesses to national and global markets, supplementing and reducing our reliance on road freight, generating new opportunities for industries in our region and city. Acting Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Councillor
Jenny McKinnon said while Council supports the proposed Albury to Illabo project, it is important to ensure the best interests of the community of Wagga Wagga are represented. “Council believes it is essential to correctly assess and address all impacts of Inland Rail – both instantaneous and developing – at this stage of the project, as there is no recourse for additional expenditure once it has been completed,” Cr McKinnon said. “Our review of the EIS has revealed several fundamental problems with the accuracy and completeness of the assessment, identifying several areas where the impacts of construction
and operation have not been adequately assessed or addressed. “The impacts of Inland Rail, mainly operational, have the potential to trigger significant adverse impacts on the community of Wagga Wagga, local businesses and services.” Among the key issues Council identified in the review: • Under Inland Rail’s approach in its study, only locations where construction works are necessary to allow the passage of double-stacked container trains have been considered in the Environmental Impact Statement. Continued inside
Don’t forget to rinse it before you bin it! All hard plastic and metal items should be given a rinse before you put them in the yellow lid recycling bin. To learn more visit: wagga.nsw.gov.au/householdwaste