Revelations only three of the 18 staff from the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) have committed to a move to Wagga, despite reportedly being offered a 20 per cent fatter pay packet, is hardly a ringing endorsement for the city.

The Canberra-based organisation was controversially ordered to shift to Wagga by agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce, a decision rebuffed by unions but welcomed by local leaders.

And it seems RIRDC staff were largely unenthused by the prospect of “going bush”.

For those of us that love the Riverina’s largest centre, their decision is hard to fathom.

Just two years ago, Wagga was voted Australia’s most family friendly city.

We rightly pride ourselves on our majestic, tree-lined streets and our sporting pedigree.

Affordable housing, quality schools, minimal traffic disruptions, medical services, plentiful job opportunities, friendly people and great shopping are also part of Wagga’s appeal.

But our greatest asset is our connectivity.

Wagga is big enough to have all the services you need and small enough to maintain a binding sense of community.

If these recalcitrant workers were to take a leap of faith and move here, they would quickly discover how appealing the lifestyle is.

The commute from the growth-belt of Estella to CSU can be measured in mere minutes and for $400,000, they could pick up a spacious family home. The same money would buy you a bedsit in Canberra.

Granted, many of these workers have ties to Canberra but Wagga is so close to the nation’s capital, a weekend trip back home is a breeze.

The reluctance of these workers speaks to a deeper truth about the difficulty in luring professionals from their inner-city enclaves to Wagga.

For decades, Wagga has struggled to get medical professionals, engineers and other specialists to settle here.

Perhaps it’s fear of the unknown, perhaps there is a perception Wagga is a rural backwater. Perhaps it’s because locals have such a propensity to talk the joint down.

If we don’t started extolling the virtues of our amazing, vibrant city, our negativity could soon become a self-fulfilling prophecy.