Wagga City Council has been told it should focus on one levee at a time and the OEH wants it to focus on upgrading the bank protecting the CBD first.

Funding to begin the main Wagga levee upgrade remains in limbo, after the OEH did not approve the project as part of this year’s floodplain management grants but instead placed it on a reserve list, which will see it considered if extra money becomes available.

North Wagga Residents Association president Laurie Blowes now fears it could be decades before the northern levee is built.

“It’s nearly four years since the last flood and the funding hasn’t come for the city side and they’re not going to get that in one hit,” he said.

North Wagga was devastated by floods in 2010 and 2012, but the CBD was spared damage.

Mr Blowes said he was “bitterly disappointed” at the news the North Wagga levee was set to be put on the backburner – but not surprised.

“I think council – and I’ve said it before – would be happier if North Wagga floated away but that’s never going to happen,” he said.

“If there was some sort of guarantee North Wagga would get a look in after the city side’s finished, I can understand the city side’s got to be done first.”

Mayor Rod Kendall has pledged not to let the North Wagga levee fall off the agenda despite the funding blow.

“North Wagga is absolutely still on the agenda and needs that final considration, but the final decision has not been made on North Wagga on the level of upgrade,” Cr Kendall said.

The current intention is to upgrade the North Wagga levee to withstand a one-in-20 year flood but there is scope to further bolster the protection it would provide against inundation.

According to Cr Kendall, both levee projects are “shovel ready”, with preliminary design work complete.