In the last year this council has achieved a lot of things that should not go unmentioned. For example, our expenditure on Gross Pollutant Traps on the Macquarie River will deliver an environmental outcome that is unprecedented in terms of river environmental health. The benefits of having a clean river will not just affect our area - it well be seen downstream on the Macquarie making Dubbo a truly responsible neighbour.

Council’s determination in moving forward with a drug rehabilitation centre for the region is progressing at a rapid pace. We now have a detailed business case to present to state and federal authorities for the eventual funding for an NGO to operate this much-needed facility. We cannot simply advocate a tough-on-crime approach without having the appropriate social infrastructure in place like a drug rehabilitation centre. I am confident that in the coming year the community will start to bear the fruit of our endeavours.

In the coming weeks, council will gather together a panel of experts from the local disability community in order to determine how the council makes the Dubbo region the most disability-friendly city in Australia. council’s prudent fiscal position means that we have been able to fully fund the $2 million commitment over four years in order to roll out these important improvements in infrastructure. The economic benefit in being able to further attract more residents and even visitors to our region because of this investment cannot be underestimated.

Speaking of being able to spend because of wise financial positions, this Council has been able to provide a record rural roads budget.  The recent revelations of more than $10 million in savings in our first year has meant that we have been able to use part of that for our deteriorating rural roads network.  In fact, an extra $4 million has been able to be allocated to our rural roads.

It is one of my greatest frustrations that regional NSW has a substandard rural roads network and Dubbo Regional Council is not immune to that. In fact, we have almost 1500 kilometres of rural roads that isn’t even sealed. Tens of millions of dollars is needed in order to bring our region’s roads up to scratch and I again call on state and federal governments to significantly increase funding for rural roads.

A great achievement of this council would have to be its ‘open to business’ approach to development approvals.  Last week it was announced that the former RAAF Stores Base has been given zoning approval for development. Let me be very clear on this: this site and development has been hanging around the previous Dubbo councils like a bad smell for too long. Fifteen years of stalemate. That’s four councils that failed to achieve a respectable result for the site.  Through a more vigorous communications policy between planning staff, senior management, the developers and mayor’s office, this council finally got this matter off our books. The whole community can look forward to this huge site being transformed into something truly special. A lot has been achieved – most cannot be listed in this short column space. However, I wish to point out what I believe is our strongest quality – that is we are the most harmonious, cohesive council in at least 20 years.