Stemming the city’s ‘brain-drain’ has become the principle ambition of four Riverina young professionals.
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Their solution, still in its preliminary vestige, earned the top prize in Wagga’s inaugural Smart Seeds forum on Wednesday.
Over five weeks, Jade Hodge, Zeb Johnson, Christopher Turner, and Jack Heffernan designed a smartphone app known, ROUTA.
Collaborating with local governments, clubs, and businesses, the app touts the low cost incentives of regional life.
“We found most people don’t know what the regions have to offer, even people who have lived here all their lives,” said Mr Hodge.
The Smart Seeds program is run by GHD Digital in 13 cities across the world, with Wagga being the second region in Australia to offer it, after Alice Springs.
This year 12 competitors presented solutions to local infrastructure problems.
“The thing about this program is it gives teams the opportunity to find solutions unrestrained by politics or funding or whatever,” said event facilitator Ken Snell.
