Now, don’t get me wrong, Bomen is a fine little village but it has one thing going against it – it’s largely an industrial area and has been for the past 50 years. 

So that prompts my question – why would anybody want to buy a house out there?

When a company wants to expand the Bomen residents come out swinging.

The latest bunch of NIMBYs (not in my backyard) are alarmed at the potential tripling of a nearby battery recycling plant.

The expansion will pour $50m into the Wagga economy and promises 100 new jobs, but still they complain.

They’re concerned the toxic emissions emanating from the plant will increase once the expansion program is complete.

Factory management has since denied that claim and has supplied the necessary facts and figures to back it up.

My point is I bought my house at leafy Lakeside – no factories out there!

It may have been cheaper to buy at Bomen, but I am more than happy with my choice.

To be perfectly honest, and selfish, I’m not too concerned about the emissions from the new factory because I don’t live near it.

To make matters worse, the owners of the Bomen abattoir, Teys, are also locked in a major battle with the residents as well.

Teys wants to expand and again the residents are protesting.

The abattoir has been out there since I was in short pants and the costly court battle has understandably angered its management.

Yet another party wants to transform their nearby land into a housing estate.

Just imagine the complaints that will stem from the new home owners once they realise they have an abattoir as a neighbour.

People have a right to protest, but surely commonsense must prevail.

If all the residents are worried about are the toxic emissions then their minds can be put at risk.

The emissions from the plant are, and will remain at, just a fraction of government limitations – so that shouldn’t be a problem.

However, I fear it’s more than that. 

I believe the residents simply don’t want it.

While that’s understandable, they shouldn’t have bought out there in the first place. Why should all of Wagga suffer for the sake of a few?

In my case, it’s no use me complaining about the noise coming from speedboats on the lake because they were there first.

I knew what I was getting myself into when I moved, so perhaps some of the Bomen residents should do a little navel gazing as well.

After all, they have no one to blame but themselves for their predicament.