Information sessions are being held in the Villages of Ballimore, Eumungerie, Euchareena, Geurie, Mumbil, Stuart Town and Wongarbon as well as Dubbo and Wellington which indicates how diverse the new Western Plains Regional Council area is.

Throughout the week it has been a privilege to meet with representatives of a number of community groups that are considering applying for a grant to improve their club facilities or the services they offer to the community.

With grants available up to $50,000 there is a lot of potential for community groups to have a significant one-off injection of funds which will sustain their activities for many years to come.

On Wednesday night a Developer’s Forum is being held in Dubbo.

This forum is a continuation of the forum initiated by the former Dubbo City Council and is an opportunity for developers and those people with an interest in development across the region to meet informally and discuss current projects and emerging issues.

There is much strength in the regional economy demonstrated by median house prices in Dubbo reaching a new high of $335,000 and the number of passengers flying in and out of Dubbo topping 200,000 for the year.

The start of the flights between Dubbo and Newcastle by FlyPelican is another signal the regional economy remains strong.

On Sunday I had the good fortune of attending and presenting prizes for winners of the Mount Arthur Challenge in Wellington.

This event which has been building again over the past three years attracted 275 competitors from Wellington and Dubbo as well as large contingents from further afield such as Orange.

The Mount Arthur Reserve is a wonderful natural asset which is right on the doorstep of Wellington and Dubbo.

There are seven marked walking trails of varying lengths and difficulty and it is a great place to take family and visiting friends.

I hope that many of the competitors from out of area return to enjoy the reserve at a more leisurely pace than on the weekend.

The next Council meeting will be held in Wellington on Wednesday 27 July.

These are public meetings where formal decisions of Council are made.

Any member of the community is also welcome to speak at these meetings and can register to speak by calling Council on 6801 4000.

The agenda items and reports from Council staff are also made available on Council’s website for anyone to read and follow.

Finally I would like to thank everyone who has participated in the survey Council has conducted about the Council name.

The report from the independent research consultant is being prepared and I will consider the findings in full before determining the appropriate course of action in coming weeks.

Michael Kniepp

Michael Kneipp is the administrator of the recently formed Western Plains Regional Council, which was formed when Dubbo City Council and Wellington Council were amalgamated in May of this year.

Mr Kneipp has lived in Wellington for more than 30 years, has spent a good portion of his working life in Dubbo and knows the area well.