![ThenShadow Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison and Labor state candidate for Wagga Keryn Foley on the campaign trail. Picture by Madeline Begley ThenShadow Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison and Labor state candidate for Wagga Keryn Foley on the campaign trail. Picture by Madeline Begley](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/157659825/57d91f2f-637f-47bb-9f5f-bd9f8e18ae1e.jpg/r0_546_5339_3560_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The Wagga electorate is in for a $13 million dollar windfall with a Labor government taking power and local Labor members hope more may be on the way.
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Labor candidate Keryn Foley made a number of promises predicated on a Labor victory and she said that she was "absolutely thrilled" all of these will now come true.
Around $100,000 in funding for repairs to the Edmondson Street Bridge will be in the next budget, as will $205,000 on programs designed to improve education and play for young people and $50,000 towards upgrading gutters and ramps along Wagga's footpath network so people using wheelchairs, mobility vehicles and prams can use them.
But the big ticket item was the $11.9 million promised for Wagga LGA roads.
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About $5.7 million would be set aside for the Wagga Local Government Area, with $3.2 million for the Lockhart and $2.9 million for the Snowy Valleys.
Riverina Labor president Mark Jeffreson said the funding promises show that this government plans to work for all of NSW, despite little chance of victory here in the seat of Wagga.
"We're not making promises based on what our electoral prospects are," he said.
"Dr McGirr was sitting on a pretty comfortable margin here. Even a wild eyed optimist like me, was waiting for a miracle rather than a numerical possibility. But these things will happen even though we haven't been elected into this seat."
Wagga city councillor, and former state Labor candidate, Dan Hayes said Labor's healthcare and education reforms will also have a big impact on regional areas such as the Riverina.
He also hopes for better working relationships with NSW councils and holds out hope the new government may "right the wrongs of the previous government" and refund the $650,000 Wagga council paid for the old ambulance station.
He said the new government will put "an end to pork barrelling" so that "all electorates have a chance to put their case forward for the funding that's available, and they're going to be judged on their merits".
"Everyone in Wagga should welcome that," he said.
Ms Foley also made a commitment to helping local councils on issues such as taking the 'Red Fleet' to off council budgets and reclassify 15,000km of council roads to state roads - to reduce the burden on regional councils.
Although a revamp of the Gobbagombalin bridge may not be on the cards for a Labor government as Ms Foley was non-committal on the topic telling The Daily Advertiser: "the job of the government is to distribute funds according to where they can be best spent. I will sit down with all the stakeholders to assess how that money can be best spent."
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