Program open for applications
Director Community Janice Summerhayes and Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Councillor Dallas Tout are encouraging community groups, individuals and organisations to apply for funding for their events and initiatives through the 2025/26 Annual Grants Program.
A total of $232,000 is available across 10 categories including: Arts, Culture & Creative Industries, Community Programs & Projects, Environment, Events, Local Heritage, Neighbourhood & Rural Villages, Recreational & Community Facilities, Rural Halls, Small Business, and Youth Programs & Projects.
Applications are now open, closing on Monday 5 May. Visit wagga.nsw.gov.au/ annualgrants for more information.
project to improve energy efficiency at the Oasis Aquatic Centre.
The funding is part of Round 1 of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s $100 million Community Energy Upgrades Fund.
The Community Energy Upgrades program aims to help local governments make their facilities more energy efficient, cut their emissions and reduce their energy bills.
Manager City Growth & Regional Assets Ben Creighton is pleased Council has been successful in receiving the full amount of funding that it sought in its application to the program.
“This is great news for the City of Wagga Wagga and residents right across the local government area, as it will allow us to continue to provide a great facility for the community,” Mr Creighton said.
“The funding will allow Council to modernise the Oasis Aquatic Centre’s heating and plant network and essentially transfer the Oasis off a gas network on to an electrical network.
“There'll be upgrades to the heating system, which is now around 23 years old.
It’s envisaged the upgrade will give the Oasis more flexibility in controlling the temperature around the outdoor 50-metre pool.
While most pool users will only see small changes in day-to-day operations of the Oasis once the upgrade is completed, Mr Creighton said it will deliver important broader benefits for the facility, Council and the community.
The project aligns with Council's Corporate Net Zero 2040 Strategy, which outlines a series of actions and pathways Council may implement to reduce its carbon footprint to meet the 2040 net zero target.
“It was identified that the Oasis plant room currently operates on a gas heating system which heats the air and the water, creating a large amount of carbon emission,” Mr Creighton said.
“The projects will allow us to convert to electricity. At the moment, Council purchases green electricity, so essentially, that will mean that we'll be able to reduce the carbon emissions at the Oasis to virtually zero.”
Local residents and relevant stakeholders are invited to have their say about drought resilience in the region.
At its Ordinary Meeting on Monday 24 February, Wagga Wagga City Council approved placing the 82-page Drought Resilience Plan and a more detailed 100-page technical document on public exhibition from 26 February to 26 March 2025.
Manager City Growth & Regional Assets Ben Creighton said Council was creating the plan in partnership with Lockhart Shire Council as part of the NSW Government’s Regional Drought Resilience Planning Program, and was funded by State and Federal government programs.
“The plan’s objective is to build community resilience in times of drought, and to have plans and activities in place we can implement before and during a drought,” Mr Creighton said.
The documents are being made available to gain broader community input before a final version is developed and proposed for adoption.
“Because the Plan is about supporting the whole community in a drought, we really want to hear back from that community.”
The plan was developed after research, along with previous stakeholder and community consultation, and aligned with three pillars:
• Community – ensuring residents have access to support systems
• Environment – water security and encouraging the use of sustainable practices
• Economy – ensuring economic stability during drought.
“All Australians are affected by drought, particularly in regional and rural areas. It’s important the community and stakeholders have an opportunity to shape the final report,” Mr Creighton said.
welcomed an announcement from the Federal Government that it will allocate $2.5 million in funding for a
“It also allows us to do some upgrades to the air handling at the Oasis. At times it can be quite warm and quite humid within the actual pool hall itself, so it will enable us to address that.”
Once the Federal Government provides formal notification of the grant, a report will be presented to Council to accept the funding.
The planning and design phases will commence once the funds have been received.
“The preliminary draft Regional Drought Resilience Plan has been independently reviewed by CSIRO through the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) with feedback incorporated into this version of the plan.”
Submissions will be accepted until 21 March 2025.
For more information and to give us your input, visit haveyoursay.wagga.nsw.gov.au
Wagga Wagga City Council has
Gissing Oval to receive upgrade to amenities building
The amenities facilities at Gissing Oval will be improved as part of a larger initiative by Council to create safer spaces for women in sports.
At the 24 February 2025 Ordinary Meeting, Council accepted a tender for the upgrade of the amenities at Gissing Oval in Turvey Park for just over $909,000.
New name for major Wagga Wagga sporting facility
Wagga Wagga’s premier rectangular sporting venue, and the home of Rugby League in the city, was officially unveiled at a ceremony on Friday 28 February 2025.
Australian-made erosion control brand Geohex has secured naming rights for the field at the Exhibition Centre (Equex), now officially Geohex Park.
Council resolved at its meeting on 22 July 2024 to allow Wagga Rugby League to enter into an agreement regarding the naming rights for Field 2A at EQUEX.
Manager City Growth & Regional Assets Ben Creighton said Council acknowledges the importance of the
2025
The decision comes after Council was successful in securing $500,000 of NSW State Government grant funding for the project under the Female Friendly Community Sport Facilities and Lighting Upgrades Grant Program, with the remaining funding to be supplied by Council.
Council’s Recreation Coordinator Joshua Walsh says the project will involve renewal of the existing amenities and the construction of additional change facilities.
“The change rooms will be converted into female friendly change rooms,” Mr Walsh said.
“It’s a very big improvement for Gissing Oval, which is used frequently by Football Wagga Wagga and Wagga City Wanderers.
“The project will increase the capacity to host competitions and training at Gissing Oval, as well as delivering a safe
partnership between Wagga Rugby League and Geohex.
“The support that Geohex is providing Wagga Rugby League will allow the organisation to continue to invest in the future development of one of the leading regional rectangular sporting facilities in the country,” Mr Creighton said.
“These partnerships are vital in ensuring the venue continues to attract elite sporting events while also supporting our local, regional and school level athletes.”
Geohex founder and Managing Director Matthew Holloway says the partnership aligns perfectly with the company’s mission to grow its regional presence while supporting grassroots sport.
“Partnering with one of the region’s premier sporting hubs allows us to connect with the local community, raise awareness of our product, and give back to regional sport,” Mr Holloway said.”
The field has been a major drawcard for
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space that supports social wellbeing and inclusion.”
Council has been working to upgrade multiple aged facilities around the community to meet the current demands of sport, particularly the growth of female sport.
“It's important that we have multiple facilities available so everyone's comfortable to play,” Mr Walsh said.
“There's still a number of facilities that have been constructed over the last 50 to 60 years that will require additional upgrades to make them female friendly, as well as additional change rooms.
“Our Recreation, Open Space and Community Strategy and Implementation Plan 2040 identifies that all our change facilities need to get to this sort of status, but it’s not something you can do overnight.
“This is something that will continue, I expect, over the next decade.”
NEW NAME: Council’s Manager City Growth & Regional Assets Ben Creighton, Geohex founder and Managing Director Matthew Holloway and Wagga Rugby League Chairman Warren Barclay at the unveiling ceremony for the newly renamed Geohex Park.
elite sporting events, hosting Canberra Raiders NRL Premiership matches, a Country v City Origin match, and ACT Brumbies trial games, as well as A-League and W-League pre-season games.
– 12AM Euberta Hall, Old Narrandera Rd. Willans Hill Miniature Railway Rides SUN 2 MAR, 10AM – 2.30PM Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens, Macleay St. Riverina Harvest Festival SUN 2 MAR, 10AM – 4PM
Riverside: Wagga Beach, Johnston St. Lazy Sundays at The Wild Vine –Jacinta Counihan SUN 2 MAR, 12PM – 3PM The Wild Vine, 1313 Oura Rd. Australian Army Band Kapooka Concert
WED 5 MAR, 12PM –1PM & 6PM – 7PM Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre, Burns Way. Moving Together –Soundtrack of the 70s 6 MAR, 10AM - 11AM Seniors Community Centre, 204 Tarcutta St. Earring Making Workshop THU 6 MAR, 11AM – 1PM Little Black Duck Studio, Uranquinty. Riverina Producers Market THU 6 MAR, 1PM – 6.30PM Hammond Hall, Wagga Wagga Showground, 27 Bourke St. Vases & Vino at Pottery and Pints THU 6 MAR, 7PM – 9PM North Shore Studios, 57 William St. Infusion Games Trivia and Karaoke THU 6 MAR, 8.30PM
– 11PM
of the Riverina,
Council Chambers site, 243 Baylis St. Rose Quartz –My Story FRI 7 MAR, 7PM – 9PM The Curious Rabbit, 44 Johnston St. Scan or head to visitwagga.com for more events in Wagga Wagga + Surrounds.
Road closures
REGISTRATION OF ABORIGINAL PARTIES - PLUMPTON ROAD UPGRADE PROJECT
Wagga Wagga City Council invites Aboriginal people and Aboriginal groups who hold cultural knowledge relevant to determining the significance of Aboriginal objects and places for the Plumpton Road Upgrade Project to register to be consulted. The project will include a focus on intangible cultural values. The Plumpton Road Upgrade Project aims to improve safety and traffic flow between Red Hill Road and Rowan Road. To register your interest, please contact Andrea Crossley vie email crossley.andrea@ wagga.nsw.gov.au or phone 02 6926 9131. Registrations must be received by phone or in writing by 21 March 2025. The proposal may result in Wagga Wagga City Council; Applying for an Aboriginal Heritage Impact Permit (AHIP) under Part 6 of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, and/or Undertaking investigations in accordance with the Code of practice for archaeological investigations in NSW 2010, and/or Undertaking an environmental impact assessment under the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979.
ALL NOTICES NOW ONLINE AT: wagga.nsw.gov.au/ publicnotices
Parks & Recreation