Wagga Wagga
NSW's largest inland city, gateway to Riverina (23% of state agriculture). 4,500ha Special Activation Precinct with Inland Rail freight hub. 5,000+ businesses, 34,000 jobs. Tourism Town finalist 2025.
Wagga Wagga is the capital of the food bowl. As the largest inland city in NSW, it serves as the gateway to the Riverina—a region generating 23% of the state's agricultural production from irrigated wheat, dairy, wool, and livestock.
Agriculture contributed $330 million to the local economy in 2020/21. But Wagga Wagga is not merely a market town; it's becoming a logistics hub designed to connect the food bowl to the world. The Wagga Wagga Special Activation Precinct covers 4,500 hectares, including the Riverina Intermodal Freight and Logistics (RiFL) hub on the Inland Rail. The precinct offers overnight access to international ports and 75% of Australia's population.
Over 5,000 businesses employ 34,000 people. The economy has diversified beyond agriculture into education (Charles Sturt University), defence (RAAF Base Wagga and Kapooka Army Recruit Training Centre), and healthcare (Wagga Wagga Base Hospital serves the region).
The city was named a finalist for NSW Top Tourism Town 2025—the only inland city competing against coastal destinations. A $382,428 grant funds agritourism development, converting farms into visitor experiences.
Wagga Wagga doubles its name because the Wiradjuri word 'wagga' means crow; reduplication indicates plurality. The city of many crows now hosts many functions: agricultural processor, logistics node, education center, and military training ground.
By 2026, Wagga Wagga tests whether an inland city can compete with coastal capitals by controlling the supply chain from farm to port.