Crown land set to change hands

Dubbo City Council has gained ministerial approval to sell the 3.5 hectares of land on the corner of Cobbora Road, Yarrandale Road and Tony McGrane Place for $262,000 to Dubbo Base Hospital Accommodation Project Incorporated.

The council also has permission to direct the sale proceeds into new irrigation infrastructure at Victoria Park, for which $270,000 has been set aside in its 2018-19 budget.

It will then use $262,000 of the budget allocation to make a donation to the Dubbo Base Hospital Accommodation Project under Section 356 of the Local Government Act 1993.

A set of recommendations reflecting the council's wish to support the development of Macquarie Home Stay was passed unanimously and without discussion at the April meeting of the council.

It is a year since the council formally began lobbying for approval to hand over the Crown land, excised from the racecourse when the Yarrandale Road deviation was built in 2009.

In a report to the monthly meeting, director community services David Dwyer attached a copy of a March 21 letter that gave council the green light to sell the Crown land with zoning that permits construction of Macquarie Home Stay.

"Contracts for the sale of the land have been exchanged and settlement is due prior to May 5 2016," Mr Dwyer said in the report.

"Once settlement is finalised and council receives the sale funds then financial assistance of $262,000 will be provided to Dubbo Base Hospital Accommodation Project Inc."

Volunteer-led and community-driven, Macquarie Home Stay was awarded $3.3 million from the state government's Restart NSW Cobbora Transition Fund in 2014.

Tour de OROC fundraising also has boosted its kitty.

Macquarie Home Stay is set to provide short-term and affordable accommodation to Orana region residents needing treatment at Dubbo Hospital.