The induction process for all councillors began last week and we have been inundated with information on the roles and responsibilities of a councillor; Code of Conduct training (summary - just be nice) and an overview of council operations.

What has always amazed me with councils across the state is just how many different aspects of our lives a well-functioning council has a positive impact on.

When we rise in the morning and turn on a tap, we are relying on the council water treatment plant and reticulation pipes. We have already had a tour of the plant and been amazed by the technology in place. When we go to the toilet, that has to go somewhere. Again, enter council. The entire sewerage treatment system is not given much thought by residents - until it stops working. We haven't toured the sewerage treatment facilities yet but that will certainly be on our future menu.

The house you just slept overnight in was built only after a Development Application was approved by council and then appropriate inspections took place by council staff during the building process. We have had our presentations from the team responsible for these applications who are trying to balance the speedy development of Dubbo with the correct legal outcomes for all those involved.

When we drive or walk out our front door, we are on roads and footpaths built and maintained by council. Council is responsible for the equivalent length of bitumen of a drive from Dubbo to Mackay and a similar length of dirt roads. We learned more about the expense of building and maintaining these roads and trying to deliver a Rolls Royce standard on a Commodore budget. I can see this being one of the major challenges going forward for this council.

After spending a few hours at work, you might meet a friend for lunch at a local café. Council is responsible for the ongoing health and safety of that business but if you order a steak from the menu, there is a pretty good chance that the Dubbo Regional Livestock Markets was involved in the process. This is yet another council facility. We need to balance the needs of the agents and the farmers and ensure we deliver a return for the ratepayers of Dubbo who own the asset. We learned more about that facility from the staff responsible.

When you throw in sporting fields, airports, libraries, museums, land development, and so much more, you start to understand the first challenge of a councillor is to understand what local government does before embarking on improvements. I am confident we have the team to meet that challenge.