Council general manager Peter Thompson insists it is not an exhaustive list of its priorities but a set of funding goals to pursue over the next 12 to 18 months.

“It is an eclectic group of projects that Council recognises as a benefit to the community,” Mr Thompson said.

The total list of 14 projects does not include ongoing road maintenance or cultural funding that have been allocated through other means. 

With the estimated $20-40m earmarked for the refurbishment of the Bolton Park Precinct, and the $21.8m for the Bomen Enterprise Area, the emphasis is to turn Wagga into an economic and sporting hub.

Five listed projects that involve upgrades to sporting venues are estimated to cost over $55m.

But Mr Thompson is adamant that the amount does not diminish the importance of the other projects.

“The money we stand to get for Bolton Park, for example, would not be [from] the same grant that Council puts in for the railway,” he said.

“Our facilities are due for refurbishment to bring them up to the standard available across the state.”

Wagga Ratepayers Association chief Lynne Bodell approves of the list, but said she would not like to see the city’s sporting facilities improved at the expense of other important projects.

“Everyone will have slightly different priorities when they look at the list,” Dr Bodell said.

For Bolton Park, I’d personally like to see a clear itemisation of what’s planned to account for the cost.”

While it would be hard to prioritise which projects would be the most beneficial to the community, Dr Bodell said she hopes Lake Albert will feature high on Council’s agenda.

“Work on Lake Albert is badly needed, and the public has wanted it for so long, so I’d like for that to get started soon.

“There’s been a bit of talk, a lot of reports, I think the ratepayers would like to see things being done. There’s been good suggestions made so far, but nothing’s really been done yet.”

Committee 4 Wagga CEO Alan Johnston sees the Bomen upgrades and Gregadoo as complementary to the region’s economic health. 

“Waste management is important for attracting businesses, particularly for those located in Bomen,” he said.

“The treatment of waste is expensive especially when it involves transporting waste to Sydney or Melbourne.”

Mr Johnston is hopeful the full list can be achieved within the 18-month target. 

“Council is reliant on state and federal funding, of course, so it is a matter of how successful the bids for funds will be.”