Last week was an exciting one for me because the council received $10 million in funding for significant projects I have been pushing for. The projects that can now become reality through NSW Government funding include an Old Dubbo Gaol Heritage Plaza, a Macquarie River Foreshore Event Precinct and a Dubbo Wiradjuri Tourism Centre.
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I am particularly excited about the Macquarie River Foreshore precinct. It will include the development of a state-of-the-art outdoor events arena with a staging area, sound and light infrastructure. It would be capable of attracting major events and will also be great for local community events.
In the past there had been talk about utilising the Regand Park section of the river, but the community have made it clear to me that they see the river around the central business district as the area that should be a priority. And I agree. We should be very proud of the river and it is so close to our main streets that it can be a fantastic tourism drawcard. Our CBD is constantly evolving, and with some large-scale private projects on the horizon the foreshore precinct will enhance the area even more.
The Old Dubbo Gaol Heritage Plaza will provide a major boost to the CBD. For too long our key tourist attraction has been hidden up an alleyway in Macquarie Street, taking away from its significance. The plaza will reclaim the original footprint of the Old Dubbo Gaol and will create an exciting public space that will celebrate our colonial history and enhance the profile of the Gaol.
The creation of Wiradjuri Park on the western side of Elizabeth Park, is already under way and now the tourism centre will turn it into a truly unique cultural experience. The centre will be the perfect place to house sacred and significant artefacts, including carved trees.
This would be a great outcome for our region, to be able to have somewhere capable of cultural preservation and Council is working with the community to bring some cultural artefacts back to Wiradjuri Country. We also know that cultural tourism is a growing market, and this new facility would be an effective way to educate visitors on the proud history of the Wiradjuri nation.
Wiradjuri Park and the Tourism Centre will be further attraction for the incredible Elizabeth Park, which already includes the Dubbo Regional Botanical Garden and Adventure Playground. Community Consultation is an important part of developing projects with significance like these. I am pleased to say that consultation has already begun and will continue to ensure we get the best outcome for everyone.
These projects are expected to be completed in 2022 and once they become a reality, are expected to increase visitor expenditure to the region by around $23 million annually. I thank State Government, including Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Member for Dubbo Dugald Saunders, for seeing the benefit in these fantastic projects and granting the funding.
