Approved development hit the $140 million mark at Dubbo last financial year but Orange narrowly managed to claim bragging rights, figures from the cities’ councils reveal.
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Dubbo finished just $2 million behind its regional counterpart, consenting to projects with a combined value of $140.62 million for the 12 months to the end of June.
The result was far closer than earlier this year and showed Dubbo had almost closed the gap between the two in the last four months of the financial year.
Orange City Council figures showed $109.7 million had been approved from July last year to February, $20.5 million more than at Dubbo.
At the end of the 12 months to June 30 approved development totalled about $142.6 million in the Orange local government area, Orange council corporate and community relations manager Nick Redmond said.
Of the pair, Dubbo was the council with the higher number of development applications (DA) approved.
The number of all DAs including complying development certificates approved at Dubbo totalled 694, Dubbo council environmental services director Melissa Watkins said in a report to the works and services committee.
Mr Redmond said the number of all DAs including complying development certificates approved at Orange was about 645.
The total DAs approved at Dubbo in 2013-2014 was higher than the previous financial year, when 616 DAs were approved.
In July the council highlighted growth in a particular type of development for the previous 12 months.
It reported housing approvals at Dubbo for the past financial year had risen with the total number of dwellings approved higher in 2013-2014 than the past two years.
A total of 295 new dwellings were approved in 2013-2014 compared to 262 new dwellings in 2012-2013 and 200 dwellings in 2011-2012.
Dubbo mayor Mathew Dickerson said then the 295 new dwellings approved in the past year were valued at $67 million, which was a rise of 11.8 per cent compared to $59.9 million in 2012-2013.
“The growth in approvals of all types of dwellings shows that both residents and the development industry are investing in the growth of the city which overall is very positive,” he said then.
“The economic impact of a rise in housing approvals is felt throughout the economy in construction, household consumption expenditure and jobs growth.”