Wagga City Council is currently putting “the final touches on the detailed designs”, launching new software last week that demonstrates what an upgrade to the main city and North Wagga levees will look like.

But North Wagga Residents Association president Laurie Blowes fears the community won’t be adequately included in the upgrade plans if community consultation is anything to go by.

The association spent four hours door-knocking on Saturday to ensure 100 more people completed online council surveys indicating their preference to upgrade the levee.

“Overwhelmingly, residents said they want it raised to at least a one-in-20 year flood level (from a one-in-17),” Mr Blowes said.

Mr Blowes questioned council’s motive behind online surveys as most North Wagga residents didn’t own a computer or were elderly.

“We are trying to look after our own future,” he said. “The general feeling is council would be happy if they just turn the lights off and we all float away. We know there’s a chance of flooding, but we deserve the rights to combat it.”

A WWCC spokesman said outcomes of the community consultation process would be included in a report that goes before council in July.

WWCC engineering manager Alex Fenwick said council has already made applications for state and federal funding to help with the $16.2M upgrade of the main city levee.

The new software, available from the library, superimposes the detailed design on top of the existing levees at 25 sites to provide a representation of the different types of levee construction.