Ross Earl, General Manager of the Bourke Shire Council, writes on Far West issues.
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Two senior officers from the NSW Police Force were guest speakers at the meeting of the Orana Regional Organisation of Councils (OROC) held in Mudgee recently.
They were: Mr Gary Worboys Deputy Commissioner Regional Field Operations, and Mr Geoff McKechnie, Assistant Commissioner Western Region.
They gave an update on a number of issues impacting on the police in the west including the difficulties being experienced in recruiting to some areas within the OROC area, with the shortage of police at times causing a degree of frustration among many councils.
Mr Worboys also touched on the following:
- That a re-engineering of NSW Police Force is underway with flattening of structures and middle management.
- Local Area Command (LAC) boundaries are likely to alter with a reduction in LACs and an increase in geographic areas for most LACs.
It would appear work on the reduction of LACs may have already commenced with the reported merger of the Mudgee and Dubbo LACs being foreshadowed and generating a great deal of interest in the Mudgee area.
With the large area covered by the Darling River Area Command it is difficult to see how this area could be subject to any change. However, the situation will need to be monitored as we can ill afford to lose further facilities and services from this part of NSW.
Tour de OROC: Former Dubbo mayor Mathew Dickerson has been liaising with the council regarding the Tour de OROC 2017.
The tour will start in Mudgee on October 2 and finish in Dubbo on October 7. The riders will overnight in Bourke on October 5.
Funds raised will go to the construction of Macquarie Homestay, a project to provide affordable accommodation for patients and their families from outside Dubbo who are being treated at the Dubbo Hospital. A function is planned for October 5 at the Port of Bourke Hotel with several raffles and auction items. Residents have been supportive of the ride over the last two occasions and it is anticipated this level of support will continue in 2017.