A PROPOSAL to create a hub that would allow Dubbo-based workers to perform jobs that might otherwise be based in Sydney took a step closer to fruition this week with the launch of the Smart Work Hub on the central coast.
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Dubbo mayor Mathew Dickerson said he had been advocating the idea of telecommuting hubs for years, including in a presentation to the Decentralisation Taskforce in 2013.
While the newest hub was not in Dubbo, Cr Dickerson was nevertheless excited someone was "thinking outside Sydney".
"It's a victory for the regions, so in effect that's a victory for Dubbo because now we know it can be done, it can happen here," he said.
The Gosford-based Smart Work Hub, which was equipped with high-speed broadband, Wi-Fi, video conferencing and meeting facilities, was designed to allow residents to work closer to home and slash their commuting time.
NSW industry, resources and energy minister Anthony Roberts said some 40,000 central coast residents commuted to Sydney each day for work and the hub could save them thousands of dollars a year in travel costs, travel time, petrol and road tolls, along with saving them time that could be spent with their families.
Cr Dickerson said Dubbo City Council would continue to pursue opportunities to facilitate decentralisation.
"The Australian Taxation Office and State Water are fantastic examples of government departments moving to regional areas," Cr Dickerson said.
"In the case of State Water, they had 70 to 80 dams to manage across NSW but their office was in Sydney, it didn't make sense. From a logistical point of view it was good for them and economically it's good for Dubbo."
He said a proposal for Dubbo to play host to a relocated NSW Rural Fire Service headquarters had also been suggested as part of a broader discussion on decentralisation.
"There are opportunities not only for entire government departments to relocate, but for individuals to do so using a Combined Agency Teleworker Offices (CATO) model, where those who would normally work at a desk and not come into contact with the public could do so from Dubbo," Cr Dickerson said.
"You might have, say, 100 people from Dubbo working for 20 different government departments. They will still go in to the office and work, their office just won't be in Sydney. If you need to set up a building with security or whatever, that could be arranged."
Cr Dickerson said living in Dubbo could provide a more affordable lifestyle for those struggling to pay rent or mortgages in Sydney. Meanwhile, locating the so-called CATOs in Dubbo, with the city's lower property prices, could save the state government money and help sustain and grow regional communities," Cr Dickerson said.
"It's about changing the metro mindset and normalising the concept of high-achieving regional living."