Wagga Wagga’s Community Champions Recognised
WAGGA WAGGA SAYS THANKYOU: Citizen of the Year Greg ‘Johno’ Johnson and Young Citizen of the Year Haylee Burkinshaw were two of the Wagga Wagga champions celebrated and thanked on Saturday, 25 January 2025.
Wagga Wagga's community champions were celebrated at the 2025 Australia Day Awards Ceremony held at the Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre on Saturday 25 January.
Thirteen nominees across all five award categories were evaluated by members of the 2025 Australia Day Community Committee. The finalists in each category and their achievements were announced during the ceremony.
Gregory ‘Johno’ Johnson is 2025 Wagga Wagga Citizen of the Year
Greg, an inaugural member of the Wagga Wagga Relay for Life, served on the committee for the event’s 21-year history. He drove cancer patients to appointments as part of the Cancer Council’s Transport to Treatment program.
He has had a long and active involvement as a committee member with multiple local clubs including Board Director for the Rules Club Wagga from 1999 to 2020 and the Specialist Medical Research Foundation.
Haylee Burkinshaw is 2025 Wagga Wagga Young Citizen of the Year
When Haylee was aged 13, she participated in the World’s Greatest Shave, raising over $1,000.
She was involved in organising fundraisers to support the Anschuetz
family after Wagga Wagga High School teacher Mr Ron Anschuetz passed away.
Haylee was crowned Community Princess in 2023 and has been involved in the Rotaract Club of Wagga Wagga since 2023.
This year two Walk of Honour nominations were announced including:
Aunty Dot and Uncle Hewitt Whyman
Uncle Hewitt and Aunty Dot have been a dynamic duo in Wagga Wagga and the Riverina’s First Nations community.
Their work helped establish services including Wiradjuri childcare services, Riverina Medical and Dental service, Local Aboriginal Legal Service, Wiradjuri Regional Land Council and ATSIC Binaal
Billa Regional Council.
Zita Denholm
In 1975, Zita joined Mount Erin Girls High School as an English and History teacher, reestablishing the Mount Erin Orchestra using instruments belonging to the school and the Presentation Sisters, and organising fundraising concerts to buy additional instruments.
Zita encouraged and supported hundreds of young women to develop their full potential, and taught Speech and Drama to young children and teenagers. She was recognised at the 2024 Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod with a perpetual trophy in her name in the Speech & Drama section.
David Dunn received the 2025 Ted Ryder Sports Memorial Award
David joined the Kooringal High School Science faculty in 1977 where he fostered student involvement in the National Youth Science Forum and Rotary Exchange programs.
He was instrumental in facilitating the Kooringal High School’s involvement in the Bill Turner Cup and was appointed as the Riverina Area Manager.
David introduced the Shippard and Creed Shields for the local Wagga Open Girls and Boys Secondary schools' competitions and the Tiffany Selby and Brian Thomas medals for Best and Fairest players.
Leanne Scott is 2025 Environmental Citizen of the Year
Through her involvement with Lids4Life, Leanne helps retrieve plastic bottle lids and other small items from landfill for recycling. She is passionate about teaching young people the importance of recycling.
Leanne is instrumental in spreading the message about recycling through the Wagga Wagga City Council Waste Education program, Kurrajong recycling and The Wagga Youth Circular Lids Initiative: Repurposing Plastics, Reducing Waste.
Congratulations to all our award winners and nominees.
Wagga Wagga City Council tree crews and contractors have been working at full capacity to clear the fallen timber and debris from street trees, resulting from the severe storm event on Wednesday 15 January.
Council has submitted an initial assessment form to the NSW Reconstruction Authority requesting that the LGA be declared a natural disaster area, in line with many other areas of the state that have been declared as such following the same storm event.
Supervisor Tree Planning & Management Andrew Oliver said Council’s focus has been on clearing away the fallen and damaged trees at its facilities, parks and gardens, reserves and along nature strips and roads.
“This is one of the biggest clean-up efforts we’ve had to organise in years in terms of the amount of trees and branches brought down and how widespread the damage was in our LGA,” Mr Oliver said.
“We’ve also brought in contractors to assist with the clean-up, as the tree damage is quite extensive, not just within Wagga Wagga’s suburbs, but out in our villages, in our parks and gardens, and reserves, and along the road verges across our 2300-kilometre road network.”
More than 350 customer service requests for assistance were received in the first week after the storm and more jobs have been coming in over the past seven days, although the rate of requests has substantially slowed.
“We have made big inroads into ticking off those requests, clearing nature strips of the fallen timber from street trees in most of Wagga Wagga’s residential areas and the CBD,” Mr Oliver said.
“We are now getting ready to move out to the surrounding villages and to clean up the roadsides in our rural areas.”
If you need to report a tree issue after a storm, please contact our Customer Service team or submit a request online: wagga.nsw.gov.au/servicerequests
BIG JOB: Council’s Supervisor Tree Planning & Management Andrew Oliver checks on the progress of the clean-up of fallen street trees and branches following the severe storm event on 15 January. Council’s storm
Residents and motorists are advised there will be changes to traffic conditions around the Jubilee Park precinct when the annual NSW Touch Association’s (NSWTA) Junior State Cup Southern Conference returns to Wagga Wagga in midFebruary.
The premier NSWTA junior representative event for southern NSW will be held across three days, between 6am-7pm, from Friday through to Sunday, 14-16 February.
Wagga Wagga City Council Recreation
Coordinator Josh Walsh said the event is expected to draw a large contingent of players and spectators to the Jubilee Park precinct.
“You will see more traffic and pedestrians on the roads surrounding the precinct, with more than 8000 players and spectators expected to attend over the three days of the carnival,” Mr Walsh said.
“We will have lane closures and detours in place on the roads around Jubilee Park so please drive to the conditions and be patient."
Red Hill Road will be open to westbound traffic only between the Bourke Street and Glenfield Road roundabouts, while a 40 km/h speed limit will be in effect along that stretch of road.
“There will be traffic management personnel in place at major intersections and signage in the area to assist the flow of traffic,” Mr Walsh said.
Detours will be signposted.
From a Wiradjuri/Wiradyuri and First Nations community concert to a free barbecue breakfast and citizenship ceremony, the Wagga Wagga community came together this week to mark Australia Day 2025.
‘Murun-dhu – I Live, I Breathe’ on Saturday evening (25 January) marked the start of Wagga Wagga’s series of community events.
It attracted a strong gathering of people of all ages and cultural backgrounds to the Riverside: Wagga Beach precinct for the community concert, featuring Wiradjuri/Wiradyuri and First Nations artists and performers.
The event was organised by Mawang Gaway with support from First Nations individuals and organisations, and in partnership with the Australia Day 2025 Community Committee and Wagga Wagga City Council.
The cultural diversity of our community was also at the heart of the celebrations at the Riverside: Wagga Beach precinct on Sunday (26 January), with a free community breakfast and live entertainment.
People of all ages gathered with family and friends to reflect, respect and celebrate the significant contributions that everyone makes to our community.
The Citizenship Ceremony, conducted by Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Councillor Dallas Tout, saw 41 people
become our newest Australian citizens.
“It was wonderful to see the diverse cultures represented at the ceremony,” Councillor Tout said.
“This is an important day for you, and as the Mayor of this city, I am privileged and proud to play a role in making you Australian citizens.
“All our new Australian citizens today have a unique story to tell. For some, the journey has been particularly difficult, and we welcome you with open arms.”
The official ceremony concluded with the singing of ‘I am Australian’ and the Australian National Anthem by Edison McIntosh, Tillie Carroll and Joz Pastor, accompanied by the Australian Army Band Kapooka.
Rounding out the morning, residents attended the second Wiradjuri/Wiradyuri and First Nations event at The Station Creative Workspace where community members viewed a series of First Nations films, documentaries, and animations.
Road closures
BIROOMBA LN
Roads: Biroomba Ln (no access or egress onto Tompson Street)
Date: Monday 3 February to Wednesday 12 February 2025 (weather permitting)
Duration: 24 hours
Reason: Footpath and kerb/gutter replacement
Detour: As per signage
RED HILL RD, BOURKE ST, GLENFIELD RD, AND BOURKELANDS DR
Roads: Red Hill Rd between Bourke St and Glenfield Rd
Bourke St between Red Hill Rd and Bourkelands Dr
Date: Friday 14 February, Saturday 15
February, Sunday 16 February 2025
Duration: 6am to 7pm
Reason: NSW JSC touch football carnival at Jubilee Park
Detour: Detour routes will be sign posted
ALL NOTICES NOW ONLINE AT: wagga.nsw.gov.au/ publicnotices
