THE financial benefits that will flow to Dubbo and other communities from the zirconia project will be significant and provide a cushion in uncertain economic times.
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Construction of the $1.3 billion Dubbo Zirconia Project (DZP) is expected to start in 2016 and mine production in 2018. There will be job and business opportunities for Dubbo and the region from the get go.
Developer Alkane Resources provided some figures at a community information session this week.
They included spending $5 million a year on goods and services, flow-on impacts from the mine's $30 million annual wage bill and spending $10 million on local utilities. You can almost hear cash tills ringing.
The Dubbo City Council will reap $1 million in rates and $612,000 from a planning agreement, half of which will maintain the Obley Road link to the mine. Alkane will also pay $20 million for road and bridge upgrades.
NSW government coffers will get $10 million from the DZP.
Tidy sums on their own but the impact will be far bigger as the money washes through the local economy.
There could be real estate market gains if the mine imports some of its 250-strong workforce from around Australia. Its Toongi site is only 28 kilometres from Dubbo.
But, the key issues will be the ability for local people to get jobs and for businesses to obtain supply or service contracts.
Locals should skill up and be ready to seize the opportunities.