Defence personnel to get better living experience in Wagga

Riverina Redevelopment Program's $800 million works on the RAAF Base and the Blamey Barracks in Kapooka were expected to commence in early 2024, but were delayed due to COVID-19.

The Department of Defence hosted community consultation sessions on May 16, seeking further input regarding the plans which have been in the works for years.

The works at Kapooka will commence in early 2025, while the works at the RAAF will towards the end of 2024.

Mr McCormack, who has been privy in securing the funding, is particularly excited for the upgrades to the RAAF base.

"The buildings, particularly the accommodation buildings and the headquarters they were all very much almost 1950s vintage," he said.

"There was the prospect that RAAF Wagga wasn't going to be a long term prospect simply because the base had old buildings.

"I know that Wagga is an ideal location, everybody in Wagga relies on it to continue to operate because of the wages and all the other spin-offs it provides our town, it's a military town as well as an agriculture town as well as an education town and a health town, but you take out RAAF Wagga and that is a severe hit to Wagga's economy, so I've always fought hard to make sure upgrades were there and when I had the opportunity to make sure that it had the funding required for a complete refurbishment and overhaul and new buildings, I did it."

Mr McCormack said not only is this the biggest infrastructure project Wagga has seen, but it will likely be the only of its size the city will see for years to come.

"I'm proud of that and I know that will solidify RAAF's future in Wagga for decades to come," he said.

"I'm particularly please the accommodation is going to be completely rebuilt.

"Why should anyone - recruits or otherwise, senior staff who might be flying in or flying out - why should they have to have dormitories and little bunk beds that are 70 years old - that's not the way we should be treating our best and bravest in our Australian Defence Force, so I'm pleased that's happening.

"I'm pleased there's a new headquarters building - that's really important.

We have a lot happening out there, a lot of it won't be seen because it's behind high security walls."

Among the residents to attend the community consultation session was San Isidore resident Tom Hughes.

One of the proposed works for Kapooka aims to address stormwater run-off affecting San Isidore residents.

If approved, the works would see a new ring road with an open roadside drain and the construction of a 17,000m detention basin, which is an excavated area of land used to temporarily store water during a flood.

The water would then be released downstream.

The works would also see the construction of seven bunds across Blamey Barracks to mitigate flood risk and the construction of an internal drainage channel including a series of culvert crossings. A bund is where soil is formed into an embankment to act as a barrier.

Mr Hughes said raised concerns at the session around potential dust issues caused by increased traffic along Kapooka Road to allow tradesmen access to the and from the sight.

He said he was told Kapooka Road would be closed off during works but has struggled to get solid answers to his questions.