THIS IS A PAID ADVERTISING WAGGA WAGGA CITY publication COUNCIL Council FEATURE News - ABY Wagga Wagga City Council
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Wagga Wagga City Council weekly newsletter
Saturday 27 January 2024 | Issue #480
Events & Tourism
Community
Community comes together to celebrate Australia 2024
The GIANTS to make first trip to Wagga Wagga GIANT SMILES: Wagga Wagga Mayor Councillor Dallas Tout, Regional Manager Riverina Amanda McLachlan and Executive General Manager Tim Underwood are excited to announce the match in March 2024. Wagga Wagga has asserted its reputation for attracting top level sporting events, with an elite level netball pre-season game to be played in early March. The GIANTS will visit the Riverina as part of their 2024 pre-season activities. The three-day trip, set for the first weekend in March, will mark the first time the club has visited the region, with exhibition matches set to be played in both Wagga Wagga and Griffith. The history-making visit to the region will be further enhanced with the GIANTS set to host Suncorp Super Netball’s newest team, the Melbourne Mavericks for the first time. Wagga Wagga's Multi-Purpose Stadium will host the first of the two matches on the evening of Friday 1 March. Both teams will be eager for the oncourt opportunity as they prepare for the 2024 season, beginning on 13 April. GIANTS Netball Executive General Manager, Tim Underwood, said the club is looking forward to visiting the region. “After an overwhelming reception when Julie [Fitzgerald] and Maddie [Hay] visited last year for the opening of the Griffith Regional Sports Centre we knew we
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had to come back and play,” said Mr Underwood. “We’ve never played a game in the Riverina region before but it’s home to a passionate netball community and we can’t wait to partner with the Griffith Netball Association, Griffith City Council and Wagga Wagga City Council to deliver a fantastic GIANTS Netball game day experience. “As a club built upon a community ethos, any opportunity we get to take our game beyond metropolitan Sydney we embrace. There will be multiple chances to meet and interact with our GIANTS players and coaching staff, as well as the opportunity to get a first look at our new-look team that will represent us in the upcoming Suncorp Super Netball season. “We hope all members of the Wagga Wagga and Griffith communities can join us for what is sure to be a great weekend.” Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Councillor Dallas Tout is thrilled the city has been able to secure one of the preseason games. “Being able to draw this calibre of competition to our city reflects our ability
to host this level of sporting competition, as we’ve seen through our partnerships with the Canberra Raiders, ACT Brumbies and NSW Touch Association,” Cr Tout said. “This will be an exciting opportunity for residents of Wagga Wagga and surrounding areas to see elite Australian netballers in action in our own back yard, so to speak. “Whether you’re a die-hard GIANTS Netball fan, play the game yourself, or just love watching elite sports, the MPS will be the place to be when the game rolls into town. “There is also the potential to meet some of the team through community engagement activities, which may include things like a skills clinic for local netballers, school and shopping centre visits.” Tickets for the match in Wagga Wagga will go on sale on Monday 5 February. For more information visit the GIANTS website: giantsnetball.com.au Match Details: Game 1: GIANTS v Mavericks Friday, March 1 at 6:45pm Wagga Wagga Multi-Purpose Stadium
From a Wiradjuri/Wiradyuri and First Nations opening concert and an Awards Ceremony, to a free barbecue breakfast and citizenship ceremony, the Wagga Wagga community came together this week to mark Australia Day 2024. ‘Murun-dhu – I Live, I Breathe’ on Thursday 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. Our community’s greatest advocates were recognised at the 2024 Australia Day Awards Ceremony at the Civic Theatre on Thursday night (25 January). Eleven nominations were received across four categories. The winners were: Annette St Clair, 2024 Citizen of the Year; Angus Smith, Young Citizen of the Year; and Demonstration Gardens Wagga Wagga, Environmental Citizen of the Year. The late Peter Cox will be inducted into the 2024 Walk of Honour. On Friday, celebrations started early at the Riverside: Wagga Beach precinct, where 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 38 people become our newest Australian citizens. “It was wonderful to see the diverse cultures represented at the ceremony, as well as the wide age range of our newest citizens, with the youngest just three years old and the oldest, 91,” Cr Tout said. The official ceremony concluded with the singing of the Australian National Anthem by Shae Sullivan, Lucy Green and Sophie Eddies, accompanied by the Australian Army Band Kapooka. Rounding out the morning, residents attended the second Wiradjuri/ Wiradyuri and First Nations event at the CSU Riverina Playhouse where community members experienced a series of First Nations films, documentaries, and animations of compelling First Nations narratives.
Want to be more involved in decisions that are made about your region? Register now: haveyoursay.wagga.nsw.gov.au