Residents say more services will be needed to keep up with demand from a new suburb approved for Wagga's booming northern growth corridor.
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Councillors this week gave the green light to rezone up to 750 housing lots to accommodate a future population of about 2000 residents.
Homes will be built on 60 hectares of land on Old Narrandera Road adjacent to the existing Estella and Gobbagombalin suburbs, fronting the Murrumbidgee River.
Estella Progress Association president Bruce Durham said he'd like to see services, including a supermarket and improved roads infrastructure, built first.
"Hopefully they will be up and running before this new subdivision gets established," he said.
"That should have been in the forward planning many years ago, they should have made sure we had all our facilities under control.
"It's probably not [been done] the way it should have been done, it's been done the other way around."
Earthworks have begun on a service station at Boorooma, while a highly-anticipated shopping centre at Estella is still pending final confirmation.
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Independent property valuer Chris Egan said the rezoning was a "fantastic story for Wagga" but the city needed more than just residential growth.
"People at Boorooma and Gobba have been screaming for a supermarket for years ... There has to be good town planning for these areas," he said.
Wagga City Council director of regional activation Michael Keys said council was preparing a "major structure plan" for that whole area to cater for up to 7000 more residents over the next 20 years.
"Obviously some very significant infrastructure needs to go in to support that, whether it's sewer, storm water, parks and recreation and community facilities. It's certainly underway, a major project planning for that," he said.
Urban planner Garry Salvestro, who lodged the rezoning proposal on behalf of two private landowners, said council approval was exciting news for the growth of Wagga over the next five to 10 years.
"It's really a progression of development on the northern side of the River. It tidies up that Estella, Gobba residential precinct on that side of the river. And it will help sustain the new shopping centre at Estella," he said.
The new development proposes to rezone land on the riverfront for commercial purposes such as a pub, shops and other businesses, which Mr Salvestro hopes will be complemented by a shopping centre in Estella.