City Image

Update at November 2019

Opportunity remains to improve the first impressions of the city for those arriving by road and air.

The proliferation of unofficial heavy vehicle parking along the Sturt Highway through the city is unappealing. Addressing this issue within the currently being developed Transport for NSW Wagga Wagga Future Transport Place Plan is needed.

The Wagga Wagga airport is the gateway to the Riverina by air. The current passenger terminal facilities have been outgrown and don’t meet the expectations of the travelling public for a city the size of Wagga Wagga and certainly will not be adequate for a city of 100,000 people. Committee for Wagga is supportive of the Wagga Wagga City Council continuing to explore means by which a more favourable tenancy arrangement can be obtained with the Federal Government, which will enable a much-enhanced experience for the travelling public.

Committee for Wagga has made a submission to the recently concluded public exhibition of the Riverside Precinct Stage 2 Site Analysis and Concept Plan that the Stage 2 final design should include a unique and iconic ‘Wagga Wagga’ sign of significant size and materials of construction (potentially rustic steel plate consistent with the riverside vista and capable of withstanding flood events) so as to enhance the city image and provide a further ‘point of interest’ for tourism. We would consider the most appropriate location for the sign to be a high foot traffic and recreation area and one which would be showcased during events held at the precinct. Potential locations that would fit this brief would be either the area identified as the Extra-Large Event Lawn, or between the Central Park and Café precincts which would be utilised for medium sized events.

Background

The city’s appearance and key welcome points are vitally important to leaving a positive lasting impression on visitors to the city and instilling a sense of pride among the community. Currently, visitors entering by road on the Sturt or Olympic Highways are exposed to unappealing visitor information bays that are obsolete and potentially create a negative impression through lack of maintenance, litter and the provision of out-of-date information. Further to this, the three key Welcome to Wagga Wagga sites do not portray the image of a modern, progressive city and would benefit from renewal. 

The Wagga Wagga Airport is the first impression for a significant portion of the 200,000+ people travelling by air each year and users are in most instances required to travel via Elizabeth Avenue in Forest Hill. The road is currently unappealing and would benefit from improvements to the streetscape to create a positive and lasting impression. 

Improvements to the city’s image and impression on visitors could include installation of a large, iconic and memorable sign that leverages of the marketable Wagga Wagga brand. The sign could be installed at a prominent, accessible location such as Bolton Park or atop Willans Hill to encourage interaction with visitors as a tourist attraction and city marketing tool.