Do you have feedback on how the council can save money in the future? Dubbo councillor Matt Wright would love to hear it.
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Dubbo Regional Council is about to put its organisational review and improvement plan on public exhibition. The plan outlines how council will save money, promoting strategies for efficiency and sustainability.
It comes after the council hired AEC Group to undertake an independent financial sustainability review after operating for three years with a deficit.
The review recommended the council increase rates by 37 per cent across four years, but first that the council identify and rectify operational efficiencies.
Strategies outlined in the document include seeking better value through bulk-buy discounts or purchase power agreements for consumables and other supplies, a review of staff time during consultation activities to reduce overtime and prioritising the commercial hire of venues.
Cr Wright said he encouraged the community to have a look at the "heavily detailed document" and understand the work the council was putting in towards "trim the fat".
"We'd love not to increase council rates... there are a lot of people in the community hurting but council's hurting as well. I'd hate to be in a position where we had to cut services because we just didn't have enough income to come in or enough cash flow to maintain the business," he said.
"I welcome community feedback on this document and welcome feedback from anyone on how they think council might save a few dollars at any time in the future."
Councillor Josh Black was critical of the proposed rate increase this year being five per cent. He said if the council didn't spend $2.7 million on something like the Wiradjuri Tourism Centre rates would not have to be increase as high.
But deputy mayor Richard Ivey hit back at the idea.
"To say we don't need a five per cent rate rise because of wastage or inefficiencies doesn't show good business sense. With inflation in the last year getting p towards 8 per cent we would be remiss if we didn't look at all opportunities to increase income, to try to counter to some extent the inflation impacts on this region," he said.
"To say we shouldn't have a rate increase is too simplistic. We need to look at the whole operation which this efficiency drive is doing."
Both councillors agreed there needed to be more pressure on the NSW government to provide more funding to the council.
Cr Black said the council continued to get "further and further behind" on the infrastructure backlog.
The draft operational sustainability review and improvement plan will be placed on public exhibition on Wednesday, May 1.
The community will be able to provide feedback before it is formally adopted by the council.