DUBBO has proved itself the most popular of seven rural cities involved in a campaign to attract new residents.
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The NSW government’s Evocities campaign includes Albury, Armidale, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga and was formed as a way to encourage people to live, work and invest in a regional city of NSW.
The past year has seen up to 300 people move to Dubbo with 93 more on their way, Dubbo City Council spokesperson, Kate Moody said.
Ms Moody said until December last year, the new resident cases equalled to over 300 people coming to Dubbo, but could not confirm if they were single or families.
“In our population of 41,211, Evocities has been responsible for a 0.73 per cent increase in population in just over a year,” she said.
Ms Moody said 87 people had confirmed they were in the process of moving out of Dubbo, with 93 considering moving in.
“It does take about two years for people to decide to move,” she said.
Dubbo mayor Mathew Dickerson said the Evocities campaign was primarily focused on changing the perception of “Sydneysiders” to think of Dubbo as a “city change”.
The change, he said, would feature great services, facilities and lifestyle benefits without the capital city hang-ups.
“People say they make their mind up to move and then start looking for a job, but the reality is people don’t want to move without one.”
He said the city of Dubbo had an unemployment rate one per cent lower than the national average, with many companies seeking new employees.
Evocities spokesman, Nathan Burman, said the main objective of the campaign was to encourage capital city residents to make the move to an Evocity and invest in the opportunities the cities had to offer.
“The campaign will showcase the abundance of opportunities in these regional cities due to their lower cost of living, strong career and business opportunities and enhanced lifestyle,” they said.
The spokesman said living in an Evocity meant less time commuting, working and stressing, and more time for singles and families to enjoy NSW’s beautiful natural surrounds.”
“More than 450 people moved to one of the Evocities since the campaign began in 2010, with over 500 people having indicated they were planning to move in the next year.
“Over 150,000 people have visisted the EvoJobs website which lists the jobs available in the seven cities, which indicates that many have decided or are contemplating a move and are now looking for work in their chosen cities.”