Mayoral Memo - 12 June 2024
The first Mayoral Developers Forum was held on Thursday 8 December 2011. I had become Mayor exactly three months prior. One of the tasks I undertook when I first became Mayor was to meet with a range of stakeholders across Dubbo to look for areas to strengthen and for areas to improve.
Through several of those meetings and further with some direct approaches from members of the development community, it became obvious to me that we had huge potential for development opportunities in Dubbo - but we just needed some tweaking.
In many situations in business, the best outcome can often be delivered by simply putting people in a room together and working through any issues. And that is what I decided to do; hence that first Forum held almost thirteen years ago.
The next such event will be held at the Western Plains Cultural Centre on Wednesday 19 June at 5:30pm. If you are involved in the development community in any way – a land developer; a builder; a financier; a conveyancer; a certifier; an architect; a solicitor; a real estate agent – then we want you at this forum.
The future of Dubbo has never looked so bright. The exodus of people away from metropolitan areas to regional cities that occurred during the pandemic has slowed but it also means that more people have discovered the benefits of living in a modern, thriving, regional city such as Dubbo. The increase in interest rates places more pressure on obtaining a home in Sydney but the house prices in Dubbo mean that dream is still alive. We have our arms open to people from across the world and our recent night for New Residents demonstrated again the variety of international locations that people move from. And lastly, the fact that we are in the first Renewable Energy Zone in the State will deliver even more people to our doorstep.
This is not the time to relax. The Forum gives Council the chance to update people in the room with the latest activities and opportunities and it also allows meaningful discussions to occur in the room among the various people involved in the development community.
It is interesting to note the divide in attitudes to an event like this between metro Councils and regional Councils. When I discuss this forum with Councillors in regional areas, there is typically a positive discussion with the possibility of better outcomes with increased communication. Metro counterparts, however, take a different approach. They have concerns about corruption when you put developers and development staff in the one room together. On the contrary, I think an open and transparent discussion with a room full of people reduces the possibility of corruption – and someone walking in to the room with a brown paper bag full of money usually stands out!
Councillor Mathew Dickerson
Mayor of Dubbo Regional Council
Last Edited: 12 Jun 2024