Submissions flow for city’s transport future

More than 50 individual submissions and many hundreds of comments have already been received to help develop the Wagga Wagga Integrated Transport Strategy (WWITS).

Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga, Councillor Greg Conkey OAM, said he was encouraged by the community’s response to the reports, which will inform the transport strategy and help guide development and planning over the next 30 years.

“Public submissions close this Friday before the independent reports and the public submissions are workshopped by senior staff and Councillors,” Cr Conkey said.

From the workshops the draft WWITS and implementation plan will be prepared for consideration by Council in May.

“It will then go back on public exhibition, which will give the community another chance to have input into the final strategy and implementation plan,” he said.

Cr Conkey said work on the Integrated Transport Strategy began 18 months ago with initial consultation and technical studies undertaken.

“Of the $240,000 cost to date, $200,000 has been spent on modelling of traffic flows and road capacity, growth rates, parking studies and extensive community engagement,” he said.

Submissions and community feedback to date has covered:

• Facilitating the growth of the city’s northern suburbs
• Lobbying the State Government for the duplication of the Gobbagombalin Bridge
• Provision of additional car parking spaces in the CBD
• The need for a traffic and parking plan for the hospital precinct
• Additional and improved cycle ways within the CBD and extending out to the university, Forest Hill and Kapooka
• Improved pedestrian links
• A pressing need for a truck interchange and service centre
• A public transport interchange in the middle of the CBD

Cr Conkey said there were many contentious issues raised by the community and one of those issues has been public parking.

“There are more than 7500 on and off road public car parking spaces in the CBD,” Cr Conkey said.

“The data reveals the most congested time for parking is between noon and 1pm weekdays, yet during this time 49 per cent of these car parking spaces are vacant.”

Cr Conkey thanked everyone who has made submissions and all those people who have been involved with the community consultations.

“All feedback received will be carefully considered,” Cr Conkey said.

Make a submission

People can send in written submissions in one of the following ways before 5pm, Friday 31 March.

Online: www.wagga.nsw.gov.au/ourtransport

Email: council@wagga.nsw.gov.au

Mail: PO Box 20, Wagga Wagga NSW 2650