The public gallery at Monday night’s council meeting erupted into applause after the option for a northern bypass of Wagga was put back on the table.

Councillors had been set to adopt the long-awaited Integrated Transport Strategy (ITS), but an included southern bypass proposal sparked fears among some ratepayers.

The Roads and Maritime Service had made heavy vehicle bypasses of towns and cities a priority throughout regional NSW, and the ITS was expected to inform decision-making for Wagga. However, the final version of the ITS presented to councillors did not include a northern bypass option despite strong support.

While staff were quick to point out it was only a broad concept, a band of potentially-affected residents made sure their voices were heard as councillors prepared to adopt the ITS on Monday night.

Lee Grant challenged the inclusion of a southern bypass in the long-term planning document and asked why a northern route wasn’t also considered.

“We do need a bypass, but the biggest thing is we’ve got 1000 truck movements a week into the Bomen industrial area,” Mr Grant said.

“We’ve said this is our freight hub and now we want to go through prime agricultural land instead? If we go north where the roads are at the moment, yes they may need an upgrade, but they won’t be totally new roads.”

Committee 4 Wagga chief executive Chris Fitzpatrick told councillors that consultants had assessed northern and southern bypass options in 2015 and concluded the southern route was best.

“Whilst there were pros and cons for each option, the southern route had many advantages,” Mr Fitzpatrick said.

“There are no additional river or floodplain crossings, it’s flood-free and usable year-round, it’s completely independent of existing roads and is designed and planned for highway speeds.”

However, Councillor Paul Funnell said he had great concerns about focusing solely on a southern bypass.

“I respect C4W’s position and the research that’s gone into the southern bypass, but by the same token that’s why it’s important that the public see what the northern alternative is,” Cr Funnell said.

“It’s important for our process that people be given all options and we must not exclude anything... let’s drill down into the detail and get the RMS on board.”