They are our biggest eyesores, blocks of land that through misfortune or mismanagement have become a blight on the cityscape.

Some, like the mill site and Weissel Oval, are works in progress that will likely be an ornament to Wagga once complete.

Others, like the old South Wagga Bowling Club, the ARTC railyard and the derelict block at Baylis and Edward streets, are an ugly indictment on us all.

The almighty dollar will always dictate how much effort landowners put into commercial blocks.

But there is a principle of communal responsibility we all must adhere to.

Wagga Tidy Towns chairman John Rumens is on the money when he says businesses must also be good corporate citizens.

As with graffiti, untidy looking blocks in and around our CBD create an impression to visitors that Wagga lacks civic pride.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

It is thus incumbent on all businesses – and residents for that matter – to at least ensure their property doesn’t look like it belongs in the Bronx or downtown Beirut.

We all have some skin in this fight.

Unloved slices of land and graffiti scrawled on walls fundamentally change how we see our city and those that inhabit it.

If you truly love your patch – and most of us do – be part of the solution.

Each year on Clean Up Wagga Day, the same handful of residents rock up armed with gloves and bags and swim against an impossible tide of garbage.

This Sunday, take a couple of hours out of your morning and help these unsung heroes.

Drag your kids or grandkids away from the PlayStation and get them to chip in too.

Good habits form early and the younger generation will be the custodians of our city soon enough.

Better still, redouble your efforts to keeping Wagga beautiful by ensuring your own property is something to be proud of.

Authorities like council clearly play a role in ensuring our public spaces are presentable. But it can’t be left solely up to them.

There’s no better time than now for a spot of spring cleaning.