It’s only been two weeks since the Dubbo Chamber of Commerce and Industry called on the community for “10 Big Ideas” to help accelerate Dubbo’s growth and already that request has been doubled.
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Chamber at the time said it was “keen to hear from local business people, as well as Dubbo residents, to appreciate what they think would make Dubbo a better place to live, work and visit”, and 13 people since have told the Daily Liberal their ideas on how to boost Dubbo’s growth.
Suggestions were flying from the time respected Dubbo businessmen Barry Brebner and Michael Brennan said the Dubbo economy could take off if the city had an international airport.
They also said a tunnel under the Blue Mountains would open up Dubbo to the coast.
John Morris of NatRoads was of a similar disposition, but added that an expansion of health service at Dubbo Base Hospital would also help boost the economy.
Dubbo Turf Club manager Mark Day said a national horse festival hosted by Dubbo would bring stable industries to the area but Roger Fletcher of Fletcher International Exports caused a stir when he said the city needed a “contamination dump” to create more jobs and help boost the population.
And Dubbo City Council disputed the theory of former Federal Member for Parkes Tony Lawler who said council’s neglect of the retail sector in favour of tourism had been detrimental to the city’s growth.
But his suggestion that businesses offer scholarships to local students that studied certain professions in exchange for their first professional year of service went down well.
Silver Rhino award-winning Dubbo businessowner Meagan Morrison of Morrison Podiatry Centre agreed that the city could grow if it could retain its students and said a boarding school and interstate airport would help
retain locals and attract new residents.
Hairdressers and salon owners Kerrie Monk and Rachel Mahon also threw ideas on the table to attract students to boost Dubbo’s economy.
Centro Dubbo centre manager Chris Muir said “many small improvements” could make Dubbo a more attractive place to live, such as an end to council’s “personality war”.
Natural resource management warrior Tim Ferraro thinks Dubbo could grow if it became more green and Peter Davis, owner of Newtown Providores and stall-holder at the Dubbo Farmers’ Markets said a night time market would bring the community together.
A somewhat controversial suggestion by Ken Borchardt of Red Earth Estate was to change Dubbo’s name.
He said “to grow you need to have a really good name”.
