Who we are: A Snapshot

Wagga Wagga is a diverse city for industry, business and services with a rich cultural mix that contributes to and compliments our lifestyle, education and recreation opportunities.

The city is built around the strength of its natural assets, a diverse economy and a diverse population engaged in cultural, recreation and sporting offerings. The city’s affordability, accessibility and range of choice attracts people from all over the world.

Global Connections

Wagga Wagga is the Southern Gateway to Australia’s richest food and agricultural region, the Riverina Murray.

The city is already a hub for high-quality produce and foods to be exported around the world. A transformation is occurring to the global economy with the rise of an Asian middle class (particularly China, India and Thailand) who are increasing demand for high-quality produce and goods.

Our position enables the city to leverage the excellent reputation our farmers and produce have within South East Asia for export potential. Opportunities exist to build the scale required to support high-order processing and capture more of the value from finished foods, getting the most benefit from this megatrend.

The City of Wagga Wagga is partnered with all tiers of Government and private industry to ensure that transport is improved, and manufacturing and enterprise can thrive within a cluster environment. The city is already home to various industries that connect Wagga Wagga to the World. International partnerships and ongoing exchange are a part of our fabric and will be expanded and developed with better access and connectivity.

“Wagga Wagga is a thriving, successful regional capital city. Servicing a regional population of more than 180,000 people with employment, education, training and lifestyle choices.”

National Influences

The city is a key logistics hub for Southern NSW and a node on the following national freight routes:

• Brisbane to Melbourne Inland Rail • Sydney to Melbourne Rail • Adelaide to Sydney Road Freight

Importantly, it is located halfway between Australia’s two largest urban centres of Sydney and Melbourne. Connectivity to these markets and two of Australia’s largest container ports – Port Botany and Port of Melbourne - will be improved, as well as the opportunity to connect with the Port of Brisbane with the delivery of Inland Rail and the Riverina Intermodal Freight and Logistics Hub (RIFL) that will provide increased opportunities to service larger markets and target new economic and employment opportunities. Wagga Wagga has daily air services to Melbourne and Sydney and is home to one of the largest air training services facilities in Australia.

Wagga Wagga is the hub for training new recruits through the Australian Army with Kapooka Army Recruit Training Centre and Royal Australian Airforce Base. The city will leverage from defence, economic development opportunities associated with innovation, new technologies and manufacturing.

Regional Leadership

The Riverina Murray is characterised by some of the richest and highest quality agricultural land, biodiversity and distinct evolving communities in Australia. Wagga Wagga plays an important role in the broader region with direct borders to seven other councils: Coolamon, Junee, Cootamundra-Gundagai, Snowy Valleys, Greater Hume, Lockhart and Narrandera.

Wagga Wagga is the largest population centre in the region. More importantly, it is the main service centre, providing a range of higher-order retail and services enabling the region’s:

• economic growth • health and education services • commercial and retail activity • recreation and sporting events • cultural and festival connections • tourism hub and accommodation needs.

As the region’s capital, Wagga Wagga has a central role to attract and welcome new residents in a culturally diverse community creating new opportunities.

Our city aims to:

• be a leading contributor for regional economic development in collaboration with neighbouring communities and locally based enterprise • support the region as a key service hub extending opportunity for both its own residents and those across the Riverina

Wagga Wagga will continue to identify areas where future planning can support partnerships between the city and the surrounding region. Collaboration will allow advantages of both the city and rural communities to be combined for increased benefit to both areas. It can also remove potential conflict and competition on a local or regional level to maximise and identify full potential and competitiveness nationally and internationally between neighbouring local government areas.

Our vision for Wagga Wagga is to facilitate integration and co-operation between the local government areas to maximise wider potentials and unlock new opportunities across the region.