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Clean, functioning, and safe: Toynton audit call for local loos
As the saying goes, when you gotta go, you gotta go, and the region’s deputy mayor is keen to ensure that when this happens, you’ve actually got somewhere clean, safe, and open to go to!
Certifying that all public toilets in a regional city the size and physical dimensions of Dubbo are looking (and smelling) their best is one of those core, but unglamorous, tasks that residents and visitors often rate a community on.
With this in mind, Cr Phillip Tonyton recently revealed to Dubbo Photo News that he has been carrying out the odd informal inspection of our public facilities himself, to see how they’re holding up.
This issue, he said, will also be the subject of a motion at the next ordinary meeting next Tuesday. With either contractors or council staff charged with regularly cleaning our local conveniences, he wants council to make maintenance a priority.
“It really is a quality-of-life issue, I want council to go around and fix some of the ones that aren’t up to scratch,” Cr Toynton said.
“I’m proposing a resolution that we have a thorough audit of all the public toilets that we are responsible for, to ensure they are regularly cleaned, repaired, safe, and open,” he added.
In other news, he said that council is likely to throw its support behind efforts to restore a currently-shuttered village fixture facing an uncertain future. Locals, he said, have not given up hope of saving this classic example of early 20th century Australian bush civic architecture.
“The Geurie Hall was built around 1903 and used as a general store for merchants, a wool store and, after World War I a memorial hall, but termites in the roof beams have seen it condemned for nearly two years,” Cr Tonyton revealed.
“The community has asked us for a letter of support to the ACEREZ (Orana Renewable Energy Zone consortium) for grant funding to carry out the restoration,” Cr Toynton concluded.
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New GM hails from a town like Alice!
In an “extraordinary” meeting late last week, Chief Executive Officer at Alice Springs Town Council, Andrew Wilsmore, has been appointed as new General Manager of Dubbo Regional Council, mayor Josh Black said.
“After a rigorous process, councillors were pleased to be able to appoint Andrew to the role of General Manager at our Extraordinary Meeting on Friday evening,” he explained.
“We are all looking forward to working alongside Andrew as our council continues to achieve great things for the communities across our region and our residents who live in our cities, towns and villages,” he added.
For his part, Mr Wilsmore was equally effusive about his new role: “Dubbo Region is clearly a dynamic and exciting place right now with so many great projects and a lot of development underway.
“I am eager to keep these projects moving forward while also making sure council continues to provide high quality services for all residents in our local government area,” he added.
In announcing council’s new head honcho, the mayor also praised the work of Luke Ryan, who has served in the role as interim General Manager since December 2025, with Mr Ryan now returning to his substantive role as Council’s Director Infrastructure.
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Off to Minokamo: Japan exchange calls local kids
Teenagers are being invited to again take part in Dubbo’s Sister City Exchange Program with Minokamo in Japan.
Applicants must be students aged 15–18 who attend high school in the local government area, as well as for adults interested in chaperoning the group.
Council’s blurb said that they: “will experience life in Japan by living abroad for two weeks and being hosted by families who live in Dubbo’s Sister City”.
“The Sister City Exchange Program provides the experience of a lifetime where students learn about Japanese culture first-hand and the day-to-day life of a different community,” they added.
The trip covers the September school holidays and will include three nights and two days in Tokyo as well as a homestay with a local Minokamo family.
To make the exchange more affordable, council also provides a $1000 subsidy to each participant.
Applications close on Monday, April 20. For more information, visit the Dubbo Regional Council website.