PARLIAMENT DEBATES GOBBA DUPLICATION

The NSW Parliament has been formally urged to listen to the voices of thousands of people who have called for the duplication of Wagga’s Gobba Bridge. 

The call was made the Independent Member for Wagga Wagga, Dr Joe McGirr, during an important debate on the “Bridge to the Future” petition, which collected more than 10,000 signatures in support of the duplication. 

Dr McGirr acknowledged the scale of the project but noted it would be essential for Wagga to reach its growth potential. 

“Ten thousand-plus people have spoken, making the importance of this work to my community very clear,” he told parliament. 

“Yes, it will be challenging … but it must be done. 

“I urge the House to heed the voices of the 10,000 petitioners and support ongoing efforts to build a bridge to Wagga's future.” 

After the debate, he said the next steps would be to secure a commitment from the government to begin the planning for the project. 

Other speakers in the debate included the Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke, the Minister for Roads and Regional Transport, Jenny Aitchison, the Minister for Local Government, Ron Hoenig, and the Member for Shellharbour, Anna Watson. 

Dr McGirr has thanked the MPs for their support, noting the important contribution of Ms Cooke, who powerfully highlighted the regional importance of the project. 

He also acknowledged both ministers for their willingness to discuss the need for the duplication -but said continued pressure would need to be applied to ensure progress. 

“I will continue to press for the next steps to be taken and am hopeful that significant progress will be made over coming months,” he said. 

Dr McGirr acknowledged the support of Committee for Wagga and the Wagga Business Chamber, noting that delegates from both organisations made the trip to Sydney to watch the debate, while in Wagga, others gathered at a special function to watch the debate live streamed from parliament. 

The transcript of the debate or a video clip can be found at https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/parliamentary-business/hansard/hansard-full-details?id=HANSARD-1323879322-168626&section=HANSARD-1323879322-168815