Mowing and gardening are a focus of Dubbo Regional Council ahead of the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and an expected influx of visitors on October 17.

Dubbo mayor Ben Shields said they wanted the city to look its best.

“We’re making sure everything’s going to be as shiny as possible,” he said.

“We’re making sure all the routes the prince will be travelling on are going to be properly mowed and maintained.

“Even right through our main street areas we’re making sure all the gardens are re-done and looking as best we can.

“You’ve got to remember, it’s not just for Prince Harry.

“The amount of visitors we’re having to Dubbo is huge, so we need to make sure that Dubbo looks its very best.”

The mayor said the effort extended to “basic things like even litter on the sides of the road”.

When asked if the work was being undertaken by in-house staff or if contractors had been called in, the mayor said “so far it’s all hands on deck” of “the great ship that is Dubbo”.

“So everyone’s got their role to play within the organisation and we’re all working flat out to make sure this works as best as we can,” he said.

In recent days a colourful banner has been wrapped around the front of an unoccupied property on the corner of Talbragar and Darling streets.

Cr Shields confirmed it had been installed by the council and gave it his stamp of approval.

“It looks fantastic,” he said.

The mayor encouraged businesses to jazz up their premises.

“Get into the spirit of the occasion that Prince Harry’s going to be here, noting there’s going to be media here in Dubbo from around the world,” he said.

“This is a real opportunity for everyone in Dubbo to work together to make our city shine and to show how fun we are as a place to live and how fun it is to visit Dubbo.”

“If everyone does their bit, whether it’s doing up their shop windows or putting some sort of little royal occasion maybe on somewhere along the place, it’s going to be a good thing.

“It’s going to significantly boost the economy of Dubbo.”