Case Studies

Background

Dubbo Region is one of inland New South Wales major regional centres, supporting a diverse economy and servicing communities across the Central West. Its strategic location, transport connections and role as a regional hub for health care, education, logistics, agriculture, retail, tourism and government services position it as an important driver of economic activity. To support the development of its Investment Attraction Strategy, Dubbo Regional Council commissioned an economic gap and opportunities assessment to identify areas of future growth and investment potential.

Project Goals

The project aimed to provide an evidence-based understanding of Dubbo Region’s economic structure, industry strengths, and emerging opportunities to support investment attraction and economic development planning. The project focused on identifying areas where local industries could expand, diversity and increase value-adding activity, while highlighting opportunities to strengthen local supply chains, replace imports and attract new investment.

REMPLAN’s Involvement

REMPLAN was commissioned to undertake a comprehensive economic and supply chain analysis of the Dubbo Region economy. Using REMPLAN’s economic modelling, input-output analysis tools and Gap Analysis Module, the project involved analysing industry performance, employment, output, value-added, exports and imports, business activity and regional specialisation, and identifying where local demand is met through external imports. The analysis was used to identify realistic opportunities for industry development, investment attraction and local supply chain growth.

Results

The project delivered a concise, evidence-based Economic Gap and Opportunities report that provides Dubbo Regional Council with a clear understanding of the region’s economic strengths, supply chain gaps, and investment attraction opportunities. Combining economic analysis, industry benchmarking, and supply chain assessment, the report identified priority areas for further investigation and strategic focus. The findings provide Council with a practical evidence base to support investment attraction initiatives, economic development planning, and future decision-making aimed at strengthening the region’s economic resilience and growth.