This is our big thing: Maguire

Whether you like it or not, we live in a global economy. The commercial world is an increasingly competitive place for our towns and cities.

Competition for industry, jobs, sales, contracts and market share is relentless. Being non-competitive can spell doom for business. You don’t have to look too far to find examples of contracts lost through tough competitive conditions.

Traditionally, we measure our success in growth terms—GDP, job indicators etc. 

So how does a regional city like Wagga Wagga become relevant and grow to take advantage of world markets?  

How do we get better access to products and services without lining the pockets of middle men and agents taking the competitive edge off transactions?  

How do our regional manufacturers and producers access world markets to sell the quality products—the wine and food—that this region, the food bowl of the nation, produces in a low-cost and effective way?

Employ agents, advertise, travel the world peddling your wares, I hear you say. 

Well, why not bring the world, including Australian companies, to Wagga Wagga?  

Trade goods and services under one roof in one location —the only centre of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

Instead of having to travel to a dozen countries, let Australian and international businesspeople come to Wagga Wagga to trade, buy and sell goods. 

They can enjoy our region, go to the Snowy Mountains, play golf, and visit wineries and so on whilst trade negotiations are occurring. That is what happens in other trade centres around the world.

Apart from the immediate benefit of construction jobs created by the $400 million in investment, think of the 2,500 permanent jobs that the centre will bring, including in hospitality, motel accommodation and entertainment. 

Then you have the knock-on effect: up to 7,000 jobs in the region for airlines, motels, tourism, real estate, land values—and so the list goes on.

Wagga Wagga will be in the focus internationally, housing the only trade centre of this scalein the Southern Hemisphere—the largest of its type apart from Dubai, Yiwu and Wuai, China.

For years our community has grappled to identify The Big Thing when in reality it was always our location and what we have to offer. 

Why else would we have beaten other locations, including Newcastle and Goulburn as city of first choice by the proponents of the project? 

There will be challenges with a development of this size, but the rewards will be lasting for this region.  

The Big Thing—bring it on!