The first concept plans for the Macquarie River Foreshore Event Precinct have been released, following an extensive community consultation session to come up with ideas for the precinct. Located at the Ollie Robbins Oval in Dubbo's CBD, the new event precinct will be built to withstand flooding and will attract year-round events and festivals, making use of the beautiful riverside location.
Acting Mayor of the Dubbo Region, Councillor Stephen Lawrence, said the event space will help Dubbo Regional Council (DRC) attract large-scale events, with amenities already in place, and the capacity to 'plug and go' for performers.
"We already have a great facility in the Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre, but this space will allow for up to 10,000 people to attend concerts, live performances, and other events. It's also in an ideal location, utilising the beautiful Macquarie River, and being close enough to Dubbo CBD that people can then walk up the hill into town and go out for dinner and drinks after the show," said Councillor Lawrence.
The design is adaptable, multifaceted, and has taken into consideration a one in 100 year flood event. The design allows functional community pedestrian usage, contained community event staging of up to 300 people, and the flexibility to reverse the stage setting to face north, allowing an open, expansive stage touring event capacity of up to 10,000. There was an extensive community consultation process, where members of the community, nearby businesses, events industry experts, and other members of the public were invited to provide feedback and input into the initial design process.
To identify a suitable architect to provide full design services for the event precinct, Dubbo Regional Council (DRC) conduced an Expressions of Interest (EOI) process, before going to a select tender process involving three architectural firms shortlisted by a weighted matric and demonstrated experience in the event precinct and flood plains development.
"LahzNimmo Architects have been identified as the preferred architectural firm to undertake the next phase of the project, which is to provide detailed design of the Macquarie River Event Precinct, and associated amenities," said Councillor Lawrence.
The Macquarie River Foreshore Event Precinct is part of the multi-million dollar Destination Dubbo: International Ready project, which includes the Old Dubbo Gaol Heritage Plaza and the Wiradjuri Tourism Centre. Funding for the Macquarie River Event Precinct is estimated to be approximately $3.5 million, with contributions made by DRC, and NSW Government's Region Growth Environment and Tourism Fund.
"Destination Dubbo is about ensuring we are ready to welcome visitors from all over country, and in time, the world, sharing our unique Western Plains natural landscapes and Wiradjuri culture, so when people go back to their home country, they can tell all their friends and family about the incredible experience they had in the Dubbo Region," said Director Culture and Economy, Natasha Comber.
The public can see preliminary designs, and find out more about the Destination Dubbo: International Ready project by clicking here, or visiting destinationdubboproject.com.au
