'It's very exciting': Macquarie 'Boardwalk' project one step closer to reality

"It is very exciting that the Development Application for the NSW Public Spaces Legacy Shared Pathway project has progressed through this milestone," said Dubbo Regional Council mayor Mathew Dickerson.

"There has been a tremendous amount of work undertaken to date to ensure that the design is appropriate for its location along the Macquarie River and, at the same time, meet the needs of our community."

A key feature of council's Macquarie River CBD master plan, the shared pathway will include cantilevered viewing platforms and stretch for around 320 metres along the Bligh Street section of the Macquarie River. To build the pathway, Dubbo council secured a $3 million grant from the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment's NSW Public Spaces Legacy Program.

While it was originally designed as a boardwalk, the plan underwent significant changes to make it less susceptible to flood damage after major rainfall events.

"The new location of the shared pathway at the top of the bank has been designed based on the current flooding information," explained Cr Dickerson.

"Being integrated into the bank itself, rather than being suspended over the river or on piers, makes it extremely resilient to flood waters and prolonged periods of inundation. The materials proposed for the Shared Pathway have been chosen on their ability to withstand flooding and inundation, as well as being complementary to the riverine environment."

Council said the pathway will "improve connectivity" of the CBD Riverbank Precinct, which will be further transformed by the future Event Precinct at Ollie Robbins Oval and a planned pedestrian plaza at the end of Church Street.

Councillor Dickerson said, when complete, the new precinct will be able to attract major events to Dubbo up to 10,000 patrons, as well as being able to cater for smaller events of 300 to 400 patrons.

"The DA and construction certificate for the Ollie Robbins Event precinct have already been approved, and now with the DA for the shared Pathway approved we continue to finalise the documentation for the construction certificate," he said.

When the construction certificate for the shared path is approved, the project will go out to tender and then construction can begin.

Cr Dickerson said, with the DA now approved, the project is still on track to be completed by mid-2023 as hoped.

"We are still anticipating that we can deliver on this project within this timeframe," he said.

"However, this is subject to a number of factors including the prevailing weather conditions, availability of goods and services and other factors that we may not have control over."

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