The Riverina Intermodal Freight and Logistics (RiFL) Hub promises to be Wagga’s quantum leap into the 21^st century, with an influx of jobs and the promise of more businesses to open with the upshot of confidence that the project will bring.

Established companies, such as Riverina Oils and Bioenergy, will be able to increase their footprint as the flow of logistics grows with the freight hub’s establishment.

RiFL is touted to be the biggest boost to the Wagga economy in a generation. It will give this city the tools to grow to a population of 100,000 and beyond, with all facets of our city to benefit from its existence.

You would think something of such significance would be a fait accompli, but it wasn’t without hard work.

The Daily Advertiser put the pressure directly on Mike Baird by dressing him in a Where’s Wally suit on the front page in early April as federal funding for the hub approached deadline – and it seemed to work, with an apparent change of heart from the state government, who made moves to break bread with Wagga council.

Member for Wagga Daryl Maguire put his neck on the line to push for the $13.4 million piece of this $75 million industrial puzzle to be completed.

While the state government played its cards close to its chest, member for Riverina Michael McCormack had to keep the dream alive at a federal level, working to ensure the region didn’t miss the train on the previous Labor government’s $14.5 million. 

Committee 4 Wagga conductor Chris Fitzpatrick has been driving the locomotion on a local level, working with councillors over a number of local government elections, including current mayor Rod Kendall. Ratepayers have put in a lofty $30 million.

Its location on the Sydney to Melbourne interstate rail line and national highway network will allow for road and rail transport integration to provide a seamless transport solution.

The hub will be the only intermodal terminal on the north-south corridor that has the capacity of loading and unloading 1.8km trains, with an eventual estimation of supporting up to 40,000 20-foot containers per year.

From a concept in the early 2000s to now – all movers and shakers involved in getting the engines running at the RiFL hub should be commended.