After the deal was signed last Tuesday, council is set to take ownership of the Dubbo City Bowling Club site, while providing 3.3 hectares of undeveloped land in Keswick Estate to the RSL for a very exciting development.

What this means for residents is that council now owns almost all of the block (excluding the former Dubbo Fire Station) that includes Victoria Park, the Dubbo Aquatic Leisure Centre and Western Plains Cultural Centre.

To have so many sporting, recreational and cultural facilities so close to the CBD is rare and to now add the Dubbo City Bowling Club site to that will give us a lot of options in the future.

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I have had stories presented to me that council has already decided what it is doing with the Bowling Club site, like moving the library there. However that is definitely not the case. This site is effectively a blank canvas. I think it is very important that the community have their say and we get the best bang for buck with this land parcel. We have a lot of options, whether it is additional sporting facilities, additions to the cultural precinct or something else altogether. There is no need to rush and whatever ends up there should enhance the existing offering. We know Dubbo is going to keep growing in years to come so there is a great opportunity to ensure services are provided as required.

I think Dubbo is truly unique in that we have several parcels of land close to the CBD that can still be enhanced. In most towns and cities like ours, there is no vacant land and no development options in the centre of town. In Dubbo, council now has the Bowling Club site and the vacant land between Aldi and the Dubbo Train Station. We also have the land by the river that will soon include a foreshore precinct and the Old Dubbo Gaol plaza, which will transform that section of Macquarie Street. It is really exciting to be able to say that our CBD will be almost unrecognisable in a decade because there is so much scope for change. How many other places could say the same?

However this deal isn't just good for the CBD. The development at Keswick by the RSL would also be a significant win for the community. It would include a licensed club, a sporting oval and other sports facilities. Keswick Estate is growing rapidly and the inclusion of these facilities will be welcomed by nearby residents. There is also the development at the former RAAF Base that would also be best described as transformative has the potential to improve Dubbo's offering.

Best of all, this is happening at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the economy. All of these major projects going on will help to get us through any recession or economic hardship that may come our way and that is definitely a good thing.

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