SELF-FLAGELLATION is a communal obsession in the City of Good Sports.
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Across dinner tables and bars, on the pages of social media and in the pages of this newspaper, locals have an unhealthy fixation with talking the city down.
Why this chronic cultural cringe has developed is a mystery.
Yes, Wagga has its share of problems – a surging crime rate, an infrastructure backlog and a schizophrenic weather pattern, for starters.
But compared to most parts of the world, we are an island of relative tranquillity and calm.
Economically, we are one of the luckiest regional cities in the nation.
We have a low unemployment rate, diverse industry base, great schools, a spanking new hospital and affordable housing.
We are also largely insulated from the financial turmoil buffeting the globe.
And based on the most recent economic indicators, Wagga’s economy is poised for a strong 2016.
The business community, which has suffered a crisis of confidence in recent years, is buoyant about the year ahead, according to the Riverina-Murray Business Chamber.
The sound of jackhammers is ringing through the air, with more than 10 “big ticket” developments currently in progress.
And in December alone, Wagga City Council approved $21 million worth of development applications.
The new home sector is also surging, with a 27 per cent increase in new home construction in 2015.
Meanwhile, experts are tipping real estate price growth in Wagga will outstrip the cooling Sydney and Melbourne markets this year.
Of course, our city’s fortunes are still inextricably tied to agriculture.
The health of the economy will hinge, in part, on strong commodity prices – and some help from Mother Nature.
But amid the rampant negativity about crime and what a crummy place Wagga is to live, we should maintain some perspective.
If long-term locals could see our city through the same lens new residents do, they would appreciate what a wonderful home they really live in.
A robust economy is only one part of a healthy community.
If we all invested as much energy into connecting with our community as we do in pointing out its shortcomings, we would truly be a “boom town”.