'Fast growing' Wagga council area eligible for $120 million housing accelerated infrastructure fund

The NSW government late last week announced round three of its Accelerated Infrastructure Fund, which was designed to fast-track essential infrastructure and unlock tens of thousands of homes across the state.

"It's about getting keys in doors and giving people the opportunity to own their own home," NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said.

"To be able to unlock land and increase supply, our state needs the vital infrastructure in place to allow community growth - this includes roads, sewerage systems, stormwater drains and parks."

The Wagga Local Government Area's population grew by 8.37 per cent between the 2016 and 2021 census nights, which was above the NSW average.

Wagga's LGA now has an official population of 67,609 residents, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said 23 of the 41 eligible councils were in the regions, demonstrating the government's commitment to helping eliminate housing pressures right across the state.

"It builds on the investment we're making right across regional NSW to help fast-track construction of new homes and ease housing pressures as communities grow," he said.

Metropolitan councils will apply for grants from their own $180 million pool as part of the Accelerated Infrastructure Fund.

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Wagga City Council was unable to respond to a request for comment on whether it intended to apply for the grants and what kind of projects it might put forward for funding.

Wagga-based Nationals MLC Wes Fang said he hoped the council would be able to benefit from the grants.

"People have embraced living away from the metropolitan areas, so what we are seeking to do is enable local government to fast-track their infrastructure spending so we can get more people into the regions and quicker," he said.

"The grant targets the enabling infrastructure that opens up further land releases, things like sewerage and local roads, which are the responsibility of local councils but they might not have the budget for."

Mr Fang said he was not surprised to see Wagga on the grants shortlist.

"When you are looking for wonderful places to live in regional NSW, Wagga certainly must be at the top of the list," he said.

"It's no wonder the growth is there and what we must do is make sure the council does not jeopardise that."

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