DUBBO has been stripped of an "iconic name and brand" and could lose out to regional competitors because of the name chosen for the newly-created merged council, the city's peak body for real estate warns.
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The Real Estate Institute of NSW - Orana division has raised concerns "standing and reputation... will diminish" because of the 'Western Plains Regional Council' moniker for the new organisation formed from the Dubbo and Wellington councils.
It also has concerns that sacking the council and removing the mayor and councillors "may impact on some developments, business and jobs".
The new council is one of 19 created after mergers across NSW announced last Thursday by the state government.
Mayors and councillors were sacked and replaced by administrators, who will remain in place until September next year.
The government said on Thursday reducing waste and red tape through local government mergers could free up almost $2 billion over the next 20 years, allowing councils to fund better services and new infrastructure for communities or lower rates.
The real estate peak body contends 'Dubbo City Council' is an "iconic name and brand associated nationally with Dubbo as one of the leading regional cities in Australia".
"It is our concern that with the name of Dubbo disappearing from the list of local government areas in NSW, that the standing and reputation of the council and the city will diminish in the longer term," REINSW - Orana division acting chairman Bob Berry said.
The organisation notes that many statistics, particularly from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, are reported under the name of the LGA, and in future reports, it will be as Western Plains Regional Council, and will not identify Dubbo. The statistics can extend to housing sales, building approvals, population movements, and are used by both the private sector and government, in planning investments, new developments, or for establishing new operations.
The REINSW - Orana division has raised concerns Dubbo will be at a "distinct disadvantage to our main regional competitors", with Bathurst, Orange and Wagga all carrying the name of the city in their council name.
Armidale, like Dubbo, was subject to amalgamation, but had been re-named Armidale Regional Council, and the REI - Orana division questioned why the same terminology was not applied to Dubbo.
The organisation contended Dubbo City Council was not only a high-performing Local Government Area (LGA) but was also the biggest enterprise in Dubbo, operating Dubbo Regional Livestock Market - the biggest livestock saleyards in NSW, the Dubbo City Regional Airport, land development, a performing arts theatre and centre.
"Dubbo appears to be on the cusp of considerable growth, led by the massive new hospital, health and age care developments, booming residential building developments, near record livestock commodity prices, new airline routes to Brisbane, Melbourne and Newcastle and the prospect of a $1 billion new mine development," Mr Berry said.
"However, to remove the council, mayor and councillors at such a time may impact on some developments, business and jobs."