SUMMARY OF OUTCOMES FROM THE COMMUNITY CONSULTATION 1. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES Theme Suggested projects, activities and actions Grow the visitor economy Develop new products, • Develop and implement strategy to leverage the Dark Sky Park activities and experiences • Develop Geo Park / Trails • Develop and promote more creative activities / attractions • Develop rail trails – from Binnaway to Gwabegar – for cycling and horses • Develop rail trail – Coolah to Dunedoo • Build a cycleway from Coonabarabran to the Warrumbungle National Park • Develop horse trails • Explore options for the development of mountain-bike and horse trails in the Pilliga – Yarrigan SCA would be the best location • Build a long distance cycleway – Dunedoo to Dubbo • Build an Aboriginal Interpretative Centre • Establish quality picnic facilities at Timor Dam • Construct a walking trail from Coolah Tops to Murrurundi • Develop activities at Coolah Common – eg MTB tracks • Capitalise on the river in Coolah and the platypus – establish river access points and riverside walk • Recognise local sporting identifies – past and present / Leverage Hugh Bowman • Build a museum in Dunedoo • Gain access to Aboriginal sites on private property (Dunedoo area) • Gain access to Talbrager Fish fossils on private land (Dunedoo area) • Develop a historic homestead trail and heritage trails • Explore opportunities to leverage the barking owl project • Turn the Mendooran water-tower into an observation tower • Wooleybah Sawmill – develop as an attraction. • Promote the Pilliga for hunting / don’t promote for hunting (divergent views) • Establish a corridor of bill boards depicting the scenery along Baradine Road – a country paintings trail Retain / Upgrade / improve / • Upgrade / improve solar system model leverage existing attractions • Encourage Siding Springs to open at night • Keep Crystal Kingdom in town • Link Pilliga Forest back to Coonabarabran – have things in town eg sculpture that links to the forest • Re-open Ukerbarley National Park • Improve the Castlereagh river corridor in Coonabarabran / establish an Arboretum • Upgrade and capitalise more effectively on Coolah Tops National Park – explore opportunities for glamping; mountain bikes and horse trails; bird routes; tree tops – sky walk • Improve tourism drives / provide multi-day itineraries • Provide interpretation at the Black Stump • Grow the tour business in Dunedoo • Continue to develop the Woodland Learning Centre – provide and Eco Toilet, improve signage and provide town water • Bring the swans back to Dunedoo • Explore options to play on the ‘Doo’ in Dunedoo • Improve the river bank in Mendooran • Improve / expand the Binnaway railway museum • Leverage Binnaway small bore rifle range to attract shooters / events • Encourage and support National Parks and Forestry to continue to improve visitor facilities, access and signage and to more effectively market the Pilliga Forest • Leverage the Australian Wildlife Conservancy to draw visitors through Coonabarabran and Baradine • Continue to develop and promote bird routes and wildflowers in the Pilliga Grow the events sector • Develop themed space events – eg a Space Oddity Festival • Introduce themes for the Coonabarabran art show – keep it fresh • Grow horse sports and horse events Improve visitor facilities and • Have a staffed VIC in the Old Bank building in Dunedoo services • Base a tourism officer in Dunedoo • Increase use of the Dunedoo Showground and the Hall • Support all of the communities to host and grow events by removing barriers and improving venues Improve / increase • Approve the Royal Hotel development in Coonabarabran and get it accommodation operating asap. • Build accommodation that capitalises on dark sky park – eg glass roofed eco huts • Make Coonabarabran RV friendly • Provide a free camping area close to Coonabarabran • Provide more accommodation / allow temporary camping for events • Encourage the development of new accommodation in Dunedoo and Coolah • Convert shearing sheds to accommodation • Upgrade the free camping area in Mendooran • Continue to improve free camping area at Binnaway • Improve the performance of Camp Cypress – more effective marketing Undertake more effective • Do more to promote and leverage opportunities (eg opening on the marketing and promotion AWC) • Embrace story-telling as part of marketing • Target niche groups such as horse-riders, motor-bikers • Align Coolah with Upper Hunter • Develop a strong, effective on-line presence • In marketing Dunedoo - a play on words with ‘Doo’ • Grow the bird watching market Strengthen, grow and diversify the agricultural sector Diversify agricultural • Nuts – eg Chestnuts production • Horticulture / orchards • Native seed harvesting and packing • Cut flowers • Game birds • Poultry – ducks for the Asian market, game birds for the restaurant market • Goats – for meat, mohair • Encourage intensive production / feedlots / piggeries • Aqua-culture / aquaponics • Focus on niche products – paddock to plate / high end – pork, beef • Allow farm-based tourism to diversify income and spread risk Value Add • Re-open the Binnaway Abattoir • Support the introduction of mobile abattoirs • Do more with Regional Platters • Distilling – expand / develop more • Provide access to the Inland Rail for the Baradine grain receival site Strengthen / grow the • Endeavour to have the Baradine Saw Mill upgraded and re-opened Forestry Industry • Explore options to export / transport timber via inland rail • Explore opportunities for use of sawmill / forest waste – eg bio fuel, stable bedding, bedding for poultry industry, composting / landscaping • Produce bio-fuel for the trains on the inland rail line Develop the renewable energy sector Renewable Energy • Leverage opportunities from Liverpool Ranges Wind Farm • Explore opportunities for pumped solar • Introduce a local renewable energy scheme • Support the development of solar farms / support the development of the Dunedoo Solar Farm Leverage the Inland Rail Inland Rail • Upgrade the line to connect Baradine to the Inland Rail – possible small intermodal • Promote Baradine to ARTC as a location to accommodate workers • Provide facilities for containerising grain at the Baradine Receival Site / connect site to Inland Rail Grow the services sector Grow the retirement sector • Promote the Shire and its towns as retirement options • Provide housing for over 55s in all towns • Expand Cooinda in Coonabarabran • Leverage Coolah caravan park • Build a retirement village / aged care hostel in Coolah • Finish and expand the Dunedoo retirement home • Increase the number of nursing home beds at Dunedoo Hospital • Build retirement units in Baradine • Build more nursing home beds at the Baradine MPHC • Expand Camp Cypress to provide a place for RVs to retire to – similar to Caravan Park at Coolah Business Hub, Dunedoo • Establish a business hub in the old bank building in Dunedoo • Provide offices / consulting rooms for visiting professionals Bring more skills into town • Attract more doctors and health practitioners to the Shire’s towns • Bring tradespeople to town Other • Ensure SSO remains • Promote the quality of the high school to attract people relocating from outback NSW looking for better education for their kids • Promote area for filming • Support the development of a bottling water plant near Dunedoo • Attract more shops to the smaller towns • Promote Mendooran as a low cost alternative to living in Dubbo • Develop sustainable, low cost housing to attract self-funded retirees and self-employed people 2. THINGS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN TO PROVIDE A POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Theme Suggestions and Actions For Council to provide a Change the culture of Council to be: positive, supportive • Positive environment • Proactive – taking responsibility and ‘doing’ • Helpful with a ‘can-do’ attitude • Flexible and agile – capitalise on all opportunities that arise • Innovative • Outcomes and excellence focused • Proud of the Shire – talking it up • Passionate – standing up and fighting for the Shire • Shire rather than ‘Coona-centric’ When this is in place - adopt a positive PR approach to change the image of Council within the community. Address staffing issues • Address problems with staff turnover • Increase staff levels / resources • Replace staff who are not positive / under-performing • Provide additional economic development / tourism staff – 1 person is not enough Provide a positive planning and regulatory environment • Remove red-tape and streamline processes • Revise planning controls • Revise subdivision requirements • Revise planning and subdivision controls for agriculture, recognising the changes occurring in production • Revise and improve the way that planning enquiries are handled • Be consistent in the advice offered and explain everything up-front so that there are no additional requirements / costs as a DA proceeds • Speed up the approval process / reduce the time it takes to get approval • Employ experienced and competent planning staff • Make it easy – recognising that most locals residents / businesses have limited knowledge and experience – work with proponents, make it simple, and take them through the process step by step. Improve communications • Have a good website and embrace social media • Within Council – put in place a comprehensive hand-over procedure when staff leave • Put in place systems that monitor all contact, requests etc and tracks and ensures that Council staff respond quickly and comprehensively.