More doctors, better housing, parking sensors, more employment opportunities, 24-hour police and long term water infrastructure are all part of Dubbo Regional Council's plan for the next financial year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Council is required to adopt a new Resourcing Strategy, Delivery Program and Operational Plan for the 2022/2023 financial year before June 30, 2022.
The draft plans will go on public exhibition for 28 days for residents to have their say if it gets approved at the April, 28 council meeting.
The draft Plans identify how the vision and aspirations from the Community Strategic Plan will be translated into activities undertaken by Council.
Check out some of the ideas in the draft plan below.
Housing
Dubbo Regional Council has set out multiple plans to combat the housing issue in the next financial year to make sure housing meets the current and future needs of the community.
They noted the need for a variety of housing types and densities are located close to appropriate services and facilities, making sure housing is affordable and secure, urban renewal occurs in the Dubbo Central Business District and Wellington Town Centre and public and social housing are integrated into residential areas with a plan to advocate to the State Government and developers to increase the level of public and social housing in Dubbo.
Council want to make sure an adequate supply of land is located close to community services and facilities with focus on land in the North-West Residential Area and in the South West Residential Area.
They plan on investigating the rezoning and minimum lot size changes to land in Keswick Estate to encourage a variety of housing types and densities.
A big focus for council will be making sure short term accommodation and emergency accommodation is available. To do this they plan on advocating to the State Government and developers to increase the level of crisis accommodation.
Infrastructure
Council wants to establish an ongoing program to identify the need for additional traffic management facilities to make sure the road transportation network is safe and efficient.
The plan they have in place is to implement a rolling village road sealing program Infrastructure, implement a rural road sealing program, and undertake regular inspections to identify road defects and complete maintenance activities.
They will prepare a detailed business case, including strategic plans, for an additional southern crossing of the Macquarie River in Dubbo.
Another plan is to install and trial parking sensors in and around the Brisbane, Talbragar and Macquarie street shopping precinct.
They will also advocate for the provision of additional overtaking lanes on the Mitchell Highway between Dubbo and Wellington and prepare and implement a pedestrian access and mobility plan for Dubbo.
Council also plans on seeking grant funding to develop a masterplan for the Wellington Aerodrome and Recreation Park.
Economy
To keep up with the growing economy council has plans to advocate and support the employment of youth, Aboriginal, long-term unemployed and people with a disability in major public projects.
They wish to collaborate with local schools, universities and businesses to identify employment pathways and traineeship opportunities.
To get people to spend local they will undertake campaigns, and promote and support the Great Big Adventure Pass.
READ MORE:
They wish to maintain the Dubbo Regional Livestock Markets to appropriately support the agricultural sector and to collaborate with shop owners, community groups and individuals to establish "pop-up" activities in vacant shops in the Dubbo Central Business District and Wellington Town Centre.
Another important note they had was to develop a night time activation strategy to promote diverse, vibrant nightlife in town.
Leadership
Dubbo Regional Council want to provide opportunities for the community to interact and communicate with Councillors on important local issues.
To make the partnership between council and the local community streamlined with updated information on their websites and they will investigate additional communication channels with the public.
Prepare and implement a Smart Transformation Strategy to support the use of new technology for the community and within Council.
They plan to develop and implement strategic plans for the Dubbo Regional Livestock Markets Organisational Performance and will prepare and implement a development and marketing strategy for Keswick Estate.
Liveability
Attracting more doctors and specialists to the region is one of Dubbo Regional Council's top focus, along with facilitating the completion and expansion of Macquarie Homestay.
Council will also plan to advocate for the State Government to review mental health needs and facilities in the region.
Another important note was that Council plans on advocating to the State Government for more police services in Dubbo and 24-hour police services in Wellington.
They will identify external funding opportunities to install shade for the multi-purpose courts at Rygate Park and to construct an indoor facility at the Dubbo Aquatic Leisure Centre.
Environmental Sustainability
Dubbo Regional Council is on board with achieving net zero emissions and plans on encouraging businesses to use renewable energy and implement energy-efficient measures.
In the Operational Plan they state they wish to develop and implement appropriate policies to ensure new development and street lighting upgrades adopt LED technology.
They will investigate the provision of electric vehicle charging stations, along with opportunities to fund installation of these facilities.
Implement the Street Tree Master Plan and street tree maintenance guidelines to improve the quality of street appeal in the region and prepare and adopt a Tree Preservation Order to manage and important trees within the region.
Investigate activities and funding strategies to ensure long-term water security Infrastructure and improve the capacity of the community to cope with the consequences of long-term drought events.
Design major infrastructure projects so that they avoid endangered ecological communities, threatened species, habitats and environmental assets.