Dubbo Regional councillors look at starting new joint organisation

Joint organisations were established by the NSW government in 2018 as a way for councils to work together on regional projects. At the time, Dubbo decided not to join.

Now, the council is looking into forming a new group, rather than becoming a member of the Orana Joint Organisation. The Orana JO is comprised of Bogan, Gilgandra, Mid-Western Regional, Narromine, Warren and Warrumbungle councils.

The councillors were evenly split on the decision at the April council meeting.

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Councillors John Ryan, Dayne Gumley, Greg Mohr, Vicki Etheridge and Ben Shields were for it, while councillors Stephen Lawrence, Jane Diffey, David Grant, Kevin Parker and Anne Jones were against it.

The mayor used his deciding vote to pass the decision.

The council will now contact the NSW Minister for Local Government Shelley Hancock about starting a new JO.

Cr Etheridge said a new organisation would allow Dubbo to be part of "something that works".

"We have to make sure that we are involved with a group that is meaningful and functioning... We have to make sure that whatever we're part of functions at its highest level," she said.

Cr Lawrence thought Dubbo should have gone with the Orana JO. He said there were important issues the councils needed to collaborate on, especially in regards to water infrastructure.

The deputy mayor thinks it's inevitable that council will join the Orana JO.

"The state government is committed to the project and the state government has all sorts of sticks and sweeteners they can utilise over time to force councils to cooperate... If there are particular issues with this one, the best way to address that is through a seat at the table," he said.

But Cr Gumley disagreed. He said it was a "ludicrous proposition" to think Dubbo would be left out in the cold.

"To suggest that somehow if we don't join at this time that all of a sudden we won't be spoken to or involved in any of the suggestions to benefit the region just simply isn't true. Dubbo will still have clout in terms of regional infrastructure projects or matters that affect various councils across our region," he said.

"There's nothing that attracts me to joining a joint organisation as it currently exists."

If Ms Hancock doesn't allow council to start its own organisation, council plans to take no further action until after a review is done of the current JOs - which is expected within the next six months.

If the new organisation is given the go-ahead, Cr Shields will contact all of the mayors in the region to seek their interest in joining.

Council was initially against joining the Orana JO both due to the unknown costs, as well as the the choice in membership.

At the time, Cr Mohr said Western NSW "had been dudded" because areas such as Bourke, Brewarrina, Walgett and Cobar had been left out of the same organisation as Dubbo.

Council then agreed to join in November 2019 if Ms Hanock allowed Dubbo to bow out of the JO wasn't working. The application was deemed as invalid due to council's conditions.