The Orana region covers the central and north western sectors of New South Wales – an area of over 199,000 square kilometres, and has an estimated population of 122, 897. It extends from the hilly western slopes of the Warrumbungle Ranges in the east, to the flat plains of Cobar and Bourke in the west, and north to the Queensland border.

One of the region’s main assets is our people. The people within the region make up relaxed, friendly communities and welcome new residents. You’ll be able to create new connections while still being close to friends and family, enjoy a relaxed, time-rich lifestyle, be rewarded with great job opportunities and take advantage of affordable living. Whether you seek to make a difference in the business community, cheer for your children on the soccer field, or enjoy social days out at the races, the region can provide all of these opportunities and more.

The region also has a diverse industry base, rich history and geographical uniqueness, as well as many beautiful natural assets. It is rich in resources, with a highly productive agricultural sector providing food, wine and fibre to global markets. From black opals to fine red wines, renewable energy and tourism opportunities, the possibilities for you are endless.

Our communities provide the perfect combination of relaxed country living, coupled with exciting new opportunities and attractions. Set amongst some of Australia’s most beautiful landscapes, the Orana region comprises quaint townships full of history and beauty.

The Orana region covers the central and north western sectors of New South Wales – an area of over 199,000 square kilometres, and has an estimated population of 122, 897. It extends from the hilly western slopes of the Warrumbungle Ranges in the east, to the flat plains of Cobar and Bourke in the west, and north to the Queensland border.

One of the region’s main assets is our people. The people within the region make up relaxed, friendly communities and welcome new residents. You’ll be able to create new connections while still being close to friends and family, enjoy a relaxed, time-rich lifestyle, be rewarded with great job opportunities and take advantage of affordable living. Whether you seek to make a difference in the business community, cheer for your children on the soccer field, or enjoy social days out at the races, the region can provide all of these opportunities and more.

The region also has a diverse industry base, rich history and geographical uniqueness, as well as many beautiful natural assets. It is rich in resources, with a highly productive agricultural sector providing food, wine and fibre to global markets. From black opals to fine red wines, renewable energy and tourism opportunities, the possibilities for you are endless.

Our communities provide the perfect combination of relaxed country living, coupled with exciting new opportunities and attractions. Set amongst some of Australia’s most beautiful landscapes, the Orana region comprises quaint townships full of history and beauty.

The Orana region covers the central and north western sectors of New South Wales – an area of over 199,000 square kilometres, and has an estimated population of 122, 897. It extends from the hilly western slopes of the Warrumbungle Ranges in the east, to the flat plains of Cobar and Bourke in the west, and north to the Queensland border.

One of the region’s main assets is our people. The people within the region make up relaxed, friendly communities and welcome new residents. You’ll be able to create new connections while still being close to friends and family, enjoy a relaxed, time-rich lifestyle, be rewarded with great job opportunities and take advantage of affordable living. Whether you seek to make a difference in the business community, cheer for your children on the soccer field, or enjoy social days out at the races, the region can provide all of these opportunities and more.

The region also has a diverse industry base, rich history and geographical uniqueness, as well as many beautiful natural assets. It is rich in resources, with a highly productive agricultural sector providing food, wine and fibre to global markets. From black opals to fine red wines, renewable energy and tourism opportunities, the possibilities for you are endless.

Our communities provide the perfect combination of relaxed country living, coupled with exciting new opportunities and attractions. Set amongst some of Australia’s most beautiful landscapes, the Orana region comprises quaint townships full of history and beauty.

Dubbo Regional Council aims to provide and support a range of waste education opportunities for the whole community. Sending valuable resources to landfill is expensive, harmful and unsustainable.

The key to more sustainable waste systems is rethinking what waste means, considering waste to be a valuable resource that we need to harness. When we reframe rubbish or waste as something useful and productive we begin closing the loops, transitioning to a circular economy that will sustain us and future generations.

While avoiding and reusing waste are the most effective approaches to tackling waste issues, recycling holds an important place in more sustainable waste systems when we talk about closing the loop.

Already home to the Southern Hemisphere’s largest renewable energy stations, both wind and solar, the region has many renewable projects currently in development. With ample amounts of sun and wind, there are great opportunities for the development of multi-generation energy hubs utilising these abundant natural resources.

The availability of water and the security of its supply is critical for continued economic development. Water is a key input for agriculture and mining, as well as for community sustainability. Coordinating and managing water requirements across business, industry, communities and the environment requires a better understanding of local water allocations and more resourceful water use.

As part of a broader network covering NSW, Outback Arts is a non-profit regional arts development organisation covering the Local Government areas of Bourke, Brewarrina, Walgett, Cobar, Bogan, Warren and Coonamble.

Developed in 1999, Outback Arts is part of a network of 14 arts-based bodies all governed by Regional Arts NSW with funding distributed through Create NSW.
The organisation is based in Coonamble where there are two staff members, along with an outreach employee in Warren.

Outback Arts is also offering cultural development and support for Aboriginal artists. Their current project has been two years in the making.

"We are developing a living arts and culture snapshot of 30 artists and knowledge holders in the region which will be distributed to universities and libraries. We will also be selling it in order to put the money back into more copies, featuring more artists."

The Orana region covers the central and north western sectors of New South Wales – an area of over 199,000 square kilometres, and has an estimated population of 122, 897. It extends from the hilly western slopes of the Warrumbungle Ranges in the east, to the flat plains of Cobar and Bourke in the west, and north to the Queensland border.

One of the region’s main assets is our people. The people within the region make up relaxed, friendly communities and welcome new residents. You’ll be able to create new connections while still being close to friends and family, enjoy a relaxed, time-rich lifestyle, be rewarded with great job opportunities and take advantage of affordable living. Whether you seek to make a difference in the business community, cheer for your children on the soccer field, or enjoy social days out at the races, the region can provide all of these opportunities and more.

The region also has a diverse industry base, rich history and geographical uniqueness, as well as many beautiful natural assets. It is rich in resources, with a highly productive agricultural sector providing food, wine and fibre to global markets. From black opals to fine red wines, renewable energy and tourism opportunities, the possibilities for you are endless.

Our communities provide the perfect combination of relaxed country living, coupled with exciting new opportunities and attractions. Set amongst some of Australia’s most beautiful landscapes, the Orana region comprises quaint townships full of history and beauty.

There is a variety of private and public education facilities and providers across the Orana region. These range from early childhood centres through to university campuses as well as government and private institutions, giving people of all ages an opportunity for educational advancement.

TAFE Western is the region’s largest Vocational and Education Training provider. Its mission is to create education and training opportunities and outcomes for individuals, communities and industry, with approximately 35,000 student enrolments each year.
Charles Sturt University has a campus in Dubbo a regional network spanning much of NSW. Dubbo is also home to Sydney University’s School of Rural Health.

Providers include:
• TAFE Western
• Charles Sturt University
• University of Sydney School of Rural Health
• University of the Third Age (U3A)
• Central West Leadership Academy
• Macquarie Conservatorium of Music

The agricultural industry in Orana is broad and extensive, forming the backbone of the local economy. It stems across dryland cropping, irrigation, horticulture, viticulture and orchard growing and includes production of cereals, legumes, oilseeds, hay and cotton.

Crops include wheat, chickpeas, barley, lupins, canola and oats which are grown in rotation, along with sorghum, field peas, mung beans and faba beans. Livestock production and its by-products includes sheep, cattle, goats, pigs, poultry, dairy and wool.

Companies include:
• Landmark
• Delta Agribusiness
• Elders
• AGnVET
• CRT
• Cotton Growers Services
• Pursehouse Rural
• AMPS Commercial

There are many different types of manufacturing in the Orana, with suppliers for other sectors such as mining and agriculture being predominant. Retail outlets vary across the region, ranging from food, clothing and homeware suppliers to service providers catering to a range of business needs.

Health is a major industry in the Orana region which has benefited from government funding and private investment. It is inclusive of public services, medical centres and specialist facilities across the region and its growth is evidenced by the numbers of medical professionals choosing to relocate to the region.

Companies include:
• Marathon Health
• Western NSW Local Health District
• Catholic Healthcare
• Macquarie Women’s Health
• Burnside
• Centacare

Is Australia’s housing crisis self-inflicted? If so, then we need a series of reforms to reverse it
The best long-term solution to the structural problems of the rental crisis is to build more public and/or affordable housing.

Make renting more Sustainable. Increase rent assistance or look at rental caps, similar to countries in Europe and some US states, long term tenancy agreements with incentives for all parties to the agreement.

Build to Rent
The Build to Rent property sector is growing in Australia – this new class of housing is focused on providing high quality purpose designed and built rental stock, creating an additional housing choice for Australian renters with greater security and service.

Build to Rent developments are typically owned by institutional investors for the long term and the owner could be the developer/ongoing building manager. The format provides tenants with the flexibility of renting with the security of home ownership.

Build-to-Rent developments are usually large-scale residential properties specifically designed, built and managed for long-term ownership and rental.

Social Housing
In the 40 years between 1981 and 2021 the percentage of all Australian households living in social housing (i.e. state owned and managed public housing or community managed housing) has ranged from 4.9 per cent in 1981 to 3.8 per cent in 2021. Such a drop in the proportion of social housing raises the question of has Australia achieved the balance right, and also just what is the right level of social housing for Australia?

In 2018 Statistics Canada said 628,700 Canadian households, more than one in ten renter households nationally (13.5% of 4,652,500), were living in social and affordable housing.
In New Zealand, as of 30 June 2021, there were 74,337 public housing households. This equates to 4.0% of households living in social housing.

In England (in 2018) 17% of households (3.9 million) lived in social housing, while the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development publishes that 1.2 million households live in public housing, which is 0.98 per cent of all housing.

Australians have a talent for ingenuity and creative thinking. From ancient times, Australians have used the materials around them to develop unique and practical tools to help them live and prosper. Among the huge variety of Australian inventions are the boomerang, cochlear implants, polymer banknotes and wi-fi technology.

Science, research and innovation are central to securing Australia’s future. For too long Australia has relied on the commodity cycle to underwrite its prosperity. Australia must become a ‘smart’ nation, drawing on knowledge and ideas to build competitive and sustainable businesses that create high skill, high productivity jobs and that capture value through integration into the global economic system.

Advances in digital and other enabling technologies are transforming some commodity industries into ‘high tech’. But these industries only employ a small number of workers. It is therefore important to develop other parts of the economy, particularly in advanced manufacturing and services, where there are untapped opportunities for innovation and the creation of high skill, high wage jobs.

Australia can also build on its already strong mining, energy and agriculture base and extend it into value added products and services through the application of science, advanced technologies and creative talent.

Australia must be able to respond to and capture the opportunities of changing patterns of international trade, especially through our closer economic ties with China, India and the Asia-Pacific region. At the same time, like other countries, Australia also faces the challenges of climate change, urbanisation and securing a sustainable energy future.

Mining has become a huge industry in the Orana, with commodities including coal, silver, lead, zinc, copper, gold and rare earths. The industry has enhanced the region, adding jobs for local workers and boosting the economy. The mining sector’s contribution is significant in terms of jobs, investment and stimulating commercial activity, so it is important to continue harnessing this level of activity.

Already home to the Southern Hemisphere’s largest solar farm, solar irrigation system and wind farm the region has vast and largely untapped potential in renewable and clean energies and sustainable enterprises.

Companies include:
• Endeavour Operations
• Alkane Resources
• CSA
• Auralia
• Moolarben
• Coal Services
• Infigen Energy
• Neoen Australia

There are many different accommodation options across the Orana, including hotels, motels, B&Bs and farm stays. Tourism in the area ranges from natural and heritage attractions to iconic visitor destinations. Taronga Western Plains Zoo is the biggest attraction in the Region. Other known attractions are Wellington Caves, Lake Burrendong, Old Dubbo Gaol and heritage gardens.

From its rolling hills to semi-arid areas, the Orana region has a unique natural environment to complement its built-up areas. Businesses that can make the most of this aspect such as Aboriginal tourism, farm stays and outback adventures will continue to prosper and flourish.

The Orana region is steeped in culture, history and heritage. Its tourism industry is connected to the backdrop of the outback, important sites to Aboriginal people and areas that influenced Australia’s colonial history.

Developing tourism products related to the unique outback landscape and its varied economic, social and cultural history provide a major opportunity.
Marketing organic and native produce and promoting arts, cultural and museum attractions will also increase the region’s profile as a visitor destination.

Companies include:
• Tourism:
o Taronga Western Plains Zoo
o Brewarrina Fish Traps
o Wellington Caves
o Macquarie Marshes
o The Museum Under the Bridge, Coonamble
o Gulgong Pioneers Museum
o The Big Bogan, Nyngan
o Bourke Historic Wharf
o Mt Grenfell and mine viewing areas, Cobar