Cobar Shire Council has made a submission to the NSW Department of Planning to include a further 28 points that will directly affect Cobar to the Draft Far West Regional Plan.
The Draft Far West Regional Plan, which aims to guide the NSW Government’s land use planning priorities and decisions in the far west over the next 20 years, was recently presented to council as well as at a community forum in Cobar last month.
Azaria Dobson, manager of regional growth and planning from the NSW Government Office of Planning & Environment in Dubbo, gave an outline of the plan to councillors and interested local residents last month and called for feedback on the draft.
Cobar Shire’s director of planning and environmental services, Garry Ryman prepared a report to council detailing a number of points he believed were omitted from the draft plan.
Mr Ryan said Cobar was not “prominent enough in the plan particularly in regards to minerals”.
He said this was a long term planning tool for the government and it was important to get all the necessary information into the document.
Among his recommendations for inclusion was to appropriately recognise the extent and value of mineral resources in the Cobar region; that the government support new and expanding mining communities and not just communities transitioning out of mining; commit to planning for major infrastructure water and energy projects for Cobar; promote opportunities for new and expanded forestry operations; and to recognise the rangeland goat industry as a important agricultural industry in Cobar.
