Senator O'Neill has requested that Defence hand over ownership of the leased airport section to the council or at lease reduce the lease amount it charges.

According to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, Wagga Airport is owned by Defence, with a section leased to Wagga City Council on a 30-year agreement that expires in 2025.

The council has paid between $187,000 and $208,000 annually for the lease over the past five years.

Senator O'Neill, having visited Wagga Airport earlier this month, wrote a letter to Department of Defence Secretary Greg Moriarty last month calling for the Royal Australia Air Force to sign the airport land over to the council.

"Given that the Defence Department Budget is $37.3 billion, the (airport leas sum) would be an insignificant thing for the Department to forgo and would make a huge difference to the City of Wagga who could spend that money instead on their provision of local amenities," Senator O'Neill stated.

"I acknowledge the importance of the RAAF base at the Wagga Wagga Airport is but I believe the community would be best served by transferring the ownership of the facilities to the local Council, or failing that a far smaller annual fee for its use."

A spokeswoman for Senator O'Neill said on Friday that she had yet to receive a response.

Senator O'Neill also told parliament last month that the council's lease would be better spent on community projects and services.

"Wagga City Council is one of only two per cent of regional councils who don't own their airport. Instead of owning their airport, as most of the other cities around this country do, they are slugged....every year by the Department of Defence," Senator O'Neill told the chamber.

"That money that's garnered from rates. It could be money that Wagga council could be spending on roads, guttering and public amenities for the local community."

Senator O'Neill also criticised Riverina MP Michael McCormack and suggested he should have enough influence as Deputy Prime Minister to get Wagga council a better deal.

In a prior response to Senator O'Neill's airport campaign, Mr McCormack he had worked hard to support aviation and the military in the region.

"The airport is not at a disadvantage under its current arrangements," Mr McCormack said earlier this month.

Senator O'Neill also wrote a letter to Department of Defence Secretary Greg Moriarty last month calling for the Royal Australia Air Force to sign the airport land over to the council.

"Given that the Defence Department Budget is $37.3 billion, the (airport leas sum) would be an insignificant thing for the Department to forgo and would make a huge difference to the City of Wagga who could spend that money instead on their provision of local amenities," Senator O'Neill stated.

"I acknowledge the importance of the RAAF base at the Wagga Wagga Airport is but I believe the community would be best served by transferring the ownership of the facilities to the local Council, or failing that a far smaller annual fee for its use."

Wagga council general manager Peter Thompson has previously said the council had been in "positive" and "continuing" discussions with Mr McCormack and Defence about a new lease.

"Council is hopeful that the current negotiations will pave the way for a new approach to the airport tenure for the benefit of the community," he said earlier this month.