Fifteen ‘Bright Ideas’ to pump new life into the heart of our city are under way.
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That is a positive step for the Dubbo Central Business District and its businesses and for the wider community.
The CBD campaign was born two years ago when councillors from the old Dubbo City Council (DCC) and many in the community were worried about the closure of businesses in the CBD, declining foot traffic and the number of empty shopfronts, particularly in Macquarie Street.
There were fears the ailing heart of the city could get even weaker with the expansion of the Orana Mall drawing both retail businesses and customers away.
The empty shops – some closed because of national corporate collapses – were a worrying sight.
To its credit the DCC moved quickly to solve the problem. ‘Ignite Our Centre’ was the result. The DCC made a clever decision and engaged with businesses, residents and others and encouraged them to provide answers and ideas to keep the CBD vibrant.
‘Ignite Our Centre’ attracted thousands of suggestions. Those ideas seen as the most feasible were assessed and cherry-picked into ‘50 Bright Ideas’.
It is to the credit of the DCC’s replacement, the Dubbo Regional Council, that it pushed on with the campaign after the forced merger of Dubbo with Wellington.
The commitment has already paid off for residents and there is much more to come.
Four ideas were fast-tracked and are already completed or under way. They were: streamlining approval for buskers across the CBD, granting coffee shops and cafes longer trading hours, enabling pop-up eateries at key sites and investigating a revised street trading policy for retailers.
There are also plans or studies for: an upgrade to the Rotunda; allocation and use of bike parks; linking the Tracker Riley Cycleway to the CBD; footpath extensions; street dining; carpark shades; light installations to improve night time safety and security and other projects.
Since ‘Ignite’ started, new businesses have opened in Macquarie, Talbragar and other streets. There are new restaurants. The Sunday markets have been a hit.
Residents and visitors alike are more positive about the city centre.
Some stores may still be vacant, but the worst case scenario hasn’t eventuated. Much work still has to be done but the CBD is already brighter and better.