The 10-year plan for improving and developing the 42km walking track that surrounds the city was submitted to council last Monday and approved to be opened up for public feedback.

The document proposes 38 improvement projects that will cost an estimated $6.1 million over the ten years to be funded through a mixture of government grants and council funds.

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Parks and Recreation assets officer Rob Owers said since the plan opened up for feedback he has received many ideas from the community.

"We're getting hammered with feedback, we had nine submissions in 10 days," Mr Owers said.

Typically, public exhibitions can attract less than five submissions from the public, making the Wiradjuri feedback uncharacteristically high.

Mr Owers said the main points raised in the feedback so far have focused on maintaining the natural dirt paths in currently unmaintained areas, and some dispute over an appropriate name for the trail, with some preferring 'Wiradjuri Walking Track', while others are in favour of the proposed 'Wiradjuri Trail'.

He reassured residents that 19km of the 42km loop will remain unpaved under the proposed project and the name is open to discussion.

What is set to change?

Under the plan, the 42km loop of the city will be divided into nine primary zones including Pomingalarna, Flowerdale Lagoon, Marrambidya Wetlands, CBD Riverside, Willans Hill and Rocky Hill, Lake Albert, Tatton Ridge, Birramal and Silvalite.

The major projects proposed in the plan will be the establishment of 'trailheads' at the top of each section. Most of the major trailheads will have bathrooms, car parking and signage installed. The primary trailhead will be the CBD Riverside track trailhead to be installed at the Visitors Information Centre.

The plan for the trailhead includes a Wiradjuri and First Nations cultural education experience for visitors, the project estimated at a cost of $816,838.

Another major focus of the plan will be on improving accessibility along the entire trail with a focus on sections that currently intersect with busy roads.

The most financially ambitious project is a $1 million footbridge to be built over Red Hill Road at the top of Willans Hill to allow the trail to avoid the busy road.

The masterplan is also proposing that sections of the trail that were previously unmaintained will be maintained by council staff going forward.

Those areas are Birramal, Flowerdale, Tatton Ridge and the Wetland trail. The extra maintenance has been estimated at a cost of $55,891 per year in additional costs.

A tourism opportunity

Mr Owers says the ambitious project is designed to optimise the trail for Wagga residents, and to drive tourism.

"Wagga doesn't really have a big tourist drawcard, but we think the Wiradjuri Trail has the potential to [be] that," Mr Owers said. "It's rather unique having a city this size with a trail that loops all the way around it."

"It also links several significant Wiradjuri places... and with cycling tourism, walkers and bird watchers, it's got massive potential for attracting tourists," he added. "We could see people not just staying one night but staying a week and exploring all these different sites."

The Wiradjuri Trail Masterplan is open to public feedback on council's website from August 24 to September 21 and can be viewed here.

Mr Owers said he is hoping to have a report with the feedback back to councillors by the General Council Meeting on September 27, with some works already underway.

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