I would like to remind Council and residents across the Dubbo Regional Council area the applications for the NSW Governments Stronger Country Communities fund close on September 13. This fund is supporting rural and regional communities and is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for regional communities to benefit from significant investment in community infrastructure. This is community driven with individuals and community groups encouraged to develop proposals with council. The fund will support infrastructure projects such as building or refurbishing school facilities, rest rooms, libraries, parks, walking and cycle pathways, health centres, country halls, swimming pools and showgrounds. The Stronger Country Communities Fund is part of the State Governments $1.3 billion Regional Growth Fund, designed to improve economic growth and productivity by investing in regional communities like ours. For those living in the Narromine Shire and Mid-Western Regional Council areas your chance to submit applications for funding open on September 20 and close on October 18. I encourage any individual or community group with a project in mind to contact council sooner rather than later.