To that end, the city will have a new working group made up of councillors, business and the community dedicated to increasing night time activity in the city.

Councillors Dan Hayes and Amelia Parkins brought the idea to council and Cr Hayes told his colleagues that something is "lacking" in Wagga's night time economy and at present that looks like "empty streets , empty parks, closed cafes at 3pm, limited options for those who don't drink or are underage".

While the city's calendar is jam packed with events, as our population grows we need to look to long-term changes which will bring people out of the house and into the streets, he said.

"Small changes can have big impacts. For example we'll soon have ice skating again ... but after you skate then what?" he said.

"If you want to get something to eat, sit and watch other skaters listen to music and enjoy the vibe, you can't because you barely have seats."

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He hopes the working group can get creative and look at planning laws , business hours, late night shopping , transport and anything else that affects our nightlife.

DJ Pieroway owns The Bidgee & Vine urban cellar door on the top block of Baylis Street and welcomes the focus on improving the evening trade around town.

She has seen Wagga become busier over her 17 years in town, with things picking up in the past five years especially and with more people moving to town "it can only get better".

"But for that to happen we need to grow and evolve as a town," she said.

That involves being creative in the way we use the space around us, such as our closing sections of our main street for business to use and encouraging people to stay in the city after their work day ends.

"People seem to be heading home early, I don't know if that's still an afterflow form COVID ... it's about trying to change that habit, getting people to come out and live again," she said.

The working group was backed unanimously by Wagga councillors, with Tim Koschell describing the nightlife in town as "quite sad".

"If you look now, with daylight savings time ... it becomes a ghost town," he said.

While deputy mayor Jenny McKinnon said Wagga's growth "depends on our ability to attract people" here and "nightlife is a really big part of that".

Wagga Business Chamber manager Sally Manning backs moves to kick the nightlife into gear, but she said moves to change the way people interact with the city will take time.

A concerted effort from all stakeholders, including marketing campaigns, is needed to unlock the full potential of the city.

"It comes down to a really good marketing plan to break habits," she said.

"We're a city where people have certain habits. I know some coffee shops have stayed open past three pm, but it doesn't last long because they don't get the support.

"It's going to take time to change that culture in our city, I hope it happens."

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