The future for Dubbo is “ginormous”, according to stock and station agent Peter Milling.
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He said our city offered more opportunities than ever, particularly in agriculture.
“The importance of the rural sector is not always recognised by people who think of Dubbo as a retail and service hub,” Mr Milling said.
“Most people wouldn’t know what happens at the saleyards at Troy.
“The regional stock selling facility generates hundreds of millions of dollars every year and all that money goes through local banks, services and businesses.
“The central area of NSW is recognised as a jewel in the crown of agriculture. The global market has brought great change and, as a result, agriculture has more opportunities now than at any other stage in my lifetime.”
Mr Milling predicts intensive agriculture will bloom along rivers in the region.
“People who are prepared to work hard will do extremely well,” he said.
“The whole production cycle will just get bigger and bigger because people around the world want food.”
Mr Milling said Dubbo was a frontier town for a long time before it became a city with a metropolitan feel.
“The advent of the university and interest in culture changed things dramatically,” he said.
“There is much more cultural and academic activity and as a result good people are coming here. It is very encouraging to see all the new doctors and other professionals.”
Mr Milling said Dubbo attracted families and businesses seeking to escape metropolitan life.
“Large cities have become unmanageable because the infrastructure can’t keep up with the people,” he said.
“Traffic has places like Sydney nearly at a standstill. It is such a hassle to get anywhere. House prices are out of the reach of a great many people and individual car parks in a big city building are being sold for $150,000.”
Mr Milling said Dubbo continued to reap the benefits of the work done when the Dubbo City Development Corporation was established by former mayor Tony McGrane.
“Tony asked me to be the inaugural chairman of the corporation and at first I said no. When he came kept coming back to me I eventually took on the role for the first two years,” Mr Milling said.
“A lot of work was done and we were very fortunate to have Susan Benedyka as executive director.
“She was phenomenal and knew her way around Canberra. Susan got natural gas for Dubbo in six months after efforts had been made to get it for 15 years.
“The corporation was about promoting Dubbo and encouraging people to come here to live and open businesses.
“In later years the corporation disintegrated. Things blew up very badly and it was a sad thing to see when so much had been achieved.
“The work of the corporation was later absorbed into Dubbo City Council.”