The NSW Government has spent $2,356,044 on hotel and motel accommodation for homeless people in Wagga Wagga since January 2025, according to figures obtained by Greens MP Amanda Cohn. Homes NSW paid an average of $161 a night, with the highest rate reaching $290. Housing Minister Rose Jackson told a parliamentary hearing there was nowhere else in Wagga for people to stay. Local advocates say a serviced temporary camp at Wiradjuri Reserve was proposed, but neither the state government nor Wagga City Council has adopted it.
Tradies who built four public housing units at 16 Spring Street in Wagga will never be paid for their work. The liquidator has confirmed there is no money left to repay unsecured creditors, including the subcontractors. Subcontractor Amy Burns of Oasis Scaffolding and Bricklaying says her business is owed $90,000 and calls the situation slave labour. Homes NSW says it had no contract with the subcontractors and has no legal authority to pay them. Wagga MP Joe McGirr has called on the government to act as guarantor for the affected businesses.
In October 1928, a Wagga Wagga constable arrested visiting Baptist revivalist Thomas William Brogan at a busy intersection, triggering a national scandal. Witnesses said the constable pushed Brogan to the ground and dragged him to the lockup as a crowd booed. Brogan was charged with offensive behaviour. The police magistrate dismissed the charge, saying the preacher had shown extraordinarily bad judgment in preaching at a busy intersection. Local sympathisers later raised money for Brogan.
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The NSW Government has agreed to a feasibility study into duplicating Gobba Bridge in Wagga Wagga. Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison confirmed the study in parliament, and Transport for NSW will examine the option alongside other Murrumbidgee River crossings. Independent MP Joe McGirr, who has campaigned for duplication, welcomed the decision. The study must examine engineering, environmental, traffic and cost questions before a preferred option is chosen. No construction funding or timetable has been announced.
West Pennant Hills Bowls Club held semi-finals in which Michael Williams beat his son Lachlan 125 to 112, and Kevin Tuckerman reached the final after winning an extra end against Geoff McIntosh. In the final, Tuckerman pulled ahead late to defeat Williams 125 to 114. The club is also preparing its yearly bus trip for 33 bowlers, partners and friends, travelling to Wagga Wagga in October. They will stay for ten days, play against three local clubs, and visit attractions such as the RAAF museum and a liquorice and chocolate factory in Junee.
All 12 factory-built social homes promised for Wagga's homeless population are now complete and tenanted, months after the NSW Government's original June deadline. Homes NSW blamed wet weather for the delay. Wilks Park is now largely clear of visible campers after council fines and move-on orders, but some rough sleepers have moved into nearby bushland. Councillor Richard Foley has criticised Homes NSW for refusing to release figures on people housed and the cost of hotel accommodation, and he backs a transitional village at Wiradjuri Reserve.
A 38-year-old man has been charged with eight offences after a 42-year-old woman was allegedly stabbed multiple times in the head and torso at a Leeton home. Police were called to Wandoo Street on Thursday, 15 October, and were told the woman had been stabbed several times with a kitchen knife by a man known to her. She was taken to hospital and airlifted to another hospital in a serious condition. Police arrested the man at a property in Ashmont on Saturday, 17 October, and he was refused bail.
A hand-drawn map of Wagga Wagga, produced by local draftsman VG Lynch in 1922, marked the numbering of the town's buildings and the switching on of its first electric light. The map was produced as a souvenir for the official opening of the electric light system. Wagga Municipal Council had long sought house numbering, and Lynch was paid £25 to supply and install number plates. The electric lights were switched on on 6 May 1922 at a gala celebration, replacing gas lighting. The switch brought criticism, complaints and a major blackout in August 1922.
A four-bedroom home at 17 Andrews Avenue in Kooringal, Wagga Wagga, is on the market for the first time since it was built 30 years ago. Designed in the style of a turn-of-the-century Victorian home, it features 12-foot ornamental ceilings and a sunroom with morning views. The downstairs area holds a restored 1880s saloon-style bar with a working tap. Agent Ryan Smith says the home is move-in ready and sits within minutes of the Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens and the city centre.
Gregadoo residents say they feel blindsided after a second data centre was proposed for the Wagga Wagga suburb. Company IREN plans a facility worth more than $10 billion on Redbank Road, adding to a $15 billion Canberra Data Centres proposal. Residents raised concerns about noise, fire risk, water use and the electricity grid. Wagga Council voted to negotiate a sale of council-owned land at 232 Ashfords Road to CDC, with three councillors not supporting the move. The development remains subject to NSW Government assessment and approval.
Three Wagga councillors did not support a move to sell council-owned land at Gregadoo to CDC Data Centres. Councillors Mike Henderson and Jenny McKinnon voted against the motion, and Amelia Parkins abstained. They raised concerns about a lack of information and community consultation. The majority vote allows the general manager to negotiate community commitments before the sale proceeds. The vote does not approve the data centre, which the NSW Government will decide.
Wagga Wagga City Council has resolved to authorise its general manager to sign a contract selling land at 232 Ashfords Road, Gregadoo, to CDC Data Centres. The sale is conditional on CDC providing community benefits worth at least $150 million, with a further $75 million separately proposed. The council bought the land in November 2024 for future waste management needs. The proposed data centre would cover about 63 hectares and include 384 backup diesel generators. Residents have launched petitions over fire risks and rural impacts.
Wagga Takes Two has passed $5 million raised for local charities and community groups in its 20th year. The annual event, which pairs local contestants with experienced singing mentors, ran over three nights this year. Megan Gaffney and mentor Aaron Oldaker were named 2026 Overall Fundraising Winners after raising $145,014 for the Vilomah Community, which she founded after losing her daughter. Police Inspector Jill Gibson performed to raise money for the Wagga Women's Health Centre, using her act to speak about domestic violence. Emma Sampson won the Golden Buzzer on Saturday night, earning $3000 for Lilier Lodge.
Wagga Wagga business development manager Tony O’Halloran has been named Outstanding Employee at the 2026 Riverina Murray Business Awards. He runs an Indigenous development program for First Nations applicants hoping to join the Australian Army. He said his most recent session had a 100 per cent success rate, with all participants graduating with a certificate and vocational qualification and all but two going on to the Army. Halocell Energy, also based in Wagga Wagga, won Business of the Year. The winners will now compete at the NSW Business Awards in Sydney on 30 October.
A food writer explores Wagga Wagga's dining scene, highlighting Moroccan, fusion and steakhouse options. Al Maghrib serves contemporary Moroccan dishes like msemmen pancakes and shakshuka. Mr Lawrence offers a sticky pork taco with roti and prawn dumplings. Hide Steak & Bar, now under new ownership, specialises in Australian beef and locally sourced produce, with a dry-ageing program for enhanced flavour. The writer praises the quality and variety of Wagga's food scene, encouraging support for local restaurants.
