LIVEABILITY is not a problem facing Cobar alone.
According to Regional Development Australia Orana committee member, Tracey McIntyre, Narromine, creating liveability for people to want to stay in country towns is a problem.
A panellist, Ms McIntyre was summing up discussion among forum attendees and suggested she was hearing “two communities” in Cobar – residents and farmers, and the mining community.
“And I don’t see a lot of communication between the two,” she said.
“There seems to be a bit of disconnect. Is there a communication issue here and is that affecting the liveability of Cobar?”
It was suggested earlier that since the 1962 CSA mine opening 340 houses were built for miners, TV was brought into town, water and electricity was introduced, all wonderful positives in infrastructure.
However, with the introduction of fly-in fly-out (FIFO) workers, the town was fracturing.
Ms McIntyre said it seemed the trigger-point of many woes was the introduction of new mining rosters.
“Cobar as it was years ago, mines put in rail, water and electricity, and Cobar had the luxury of workers making good money without having to be away from their families,” she said.
“The culture changed with the introduction of the FIFO environment and roster changes.
“There is no more extra water capacity, no more power capacity, so that’s the trigger-point for infrastructure and planning if you want to bring people here.”
But bring them to Cobar for what? Most workers, whether mining or government are under working contracts of between 12 months to two years.
“They come and earn the big bucks and leave,”
Andrew Mosely, Etiwanda Station”, Cobar, said the Western Local Lands Service head office could be located at Cobar, where it could serve the whole region, but “we can’t get people and their families here due to short-term contracts and building (office) availability”.
Ellie Russell, a Cobar local who has returned to run her own business, The Darling Design Company, and panellist during the evening, said Cobar was a great community for younger couples and small families who were moving out “here” to start out.
“It’s quite a safe town, we’ve got great primary schooling, great sporting facilities and programs for children pf that younger primary age,” she said.
Ms McIntyre suggested communication lines should be opened and all involved recognise that Cobar had needs and all should be talking about what the needs of Cobar are.
NSW Chief Planner, Gary White, suggested it was about “making our own luck”.
“Strategic outcome issues need developing and maybe council plays the advocacy position with a community plan that frames up and then targets partner groups that can potentially help put that longer-term strategic story-telling together and then identify short, medium and long-term milestones that we might be able to move towards,” he said.
