What the council is working on
Recent deliveries, what's underway now, and what's planned next — drawn from the council's own plans, budgets and project pages. We report what the council has publicly said it's doing; every item links to its source.
The council's stated direction
Warrumbungle's direction is set out in its Community Strategic Plan, a Delivery Program 2026/2027–2028/2029 and an annual Operational Plan and budget (2026/27 adopted 28 May 2026), with the year's emphasis on safer roads, water and sewer renewals across multiple towns, community services, and long-term financial sustainability in a shire of about 9,200 people spread over 12,372 km².
The council manages local and rural roads, bridges, water and sewer, waste, aerodromes, cemeteries, swimming pools, childcare and community care across six towns. Its Operational Plan links every activity back to four Community Strategic Plan areas — Caring for the Environment, Civic Leadership, Strengthening the Local Economy, and Supporting Community Life — and the Delivery Program is the elected council's statement of commitment for its term.
The 2026/27 budget delivers $44.7 million in services and a $26.7 million capital works program, with a projected net operating surplus of $43K after capital grants and contributions and a $6.8M operating deficit before them. Council lists the pressures it is planning around: a sparsely populated area with a large transport network and limited economies of scale, an ageing population, cost shifting from other levels of government, staff recruitment and retention, rate pegging, reliance on grant funding, and the potential continuation of the Commonwealth's freeze on Financial Assistance Grants.
- Warrumbungle Shire Council — Operational Plan 2026/27 · Adopted 28 May 2026
- Warrumbungle Shire Council — Delivery Program 2026/2027–2028/2029 · 2026–2029
- Warrumbungle Shire Council — Community Strategic Plan 2025–2035 · 2025–2035
- Warrumbungle Shire Council — Integrated Planning and Reporting · Aug 2026
Underway now
Working Together for Healthy Warrumbungles
Health and Wellbeing Masterplan developed; implementation under way — award-winning June 2026A partnership between the council, Western NSW Local Health District, Western NSW Primary Health Network, NSW Ambulance and the Rural Doctors Network, working with communities across the shire to identify local health priorities, develop a Health and Wellbeing Masterplan and begin implementing actions on access to services. It won the Partnerships and Collaboration category (population under 100,000) at the 2026 NSW Local Government Excellence Awards, hosted by LG Professionals NSW; the council was also a finalist in the Innovative Leadership category for its Butt Out of Our Towns initiative.
Source: Inside Local Government — Warrumbungle health project wins big at LG Excellence Awards
$26.7 million capital works program, 2026/27
1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027The adopted 2026/27 capital program spreads work across the shire's towns rather than concentrating it in one centre. Named projects include the Dunedoo Sewage Treatment Plant upgrade ($1M), rural roads gravel resheeting and causeway upgrade programs ($1.5M), local road reseals across all towns ($937K), Timor Dam upgrades ($600K), sewer main rehabilitation at Coolah, Coonabarabran and Dunedoo ($500K), Coolah Water Treatment Plant upgrades ($400K), Coonabarabran water main rehabilitation ($275K), the Coonabarabran aerodrome ($125K), Mendooran and Dunedoo cemeteries ($113K) and Bowen Oval drainage ($120K). Council also flags planning and design work for the redevelopment of the Coonabarabran swimming pool. Many projects depend on State and Federal grant funding.
Source: Warrumbungle Shire Council — Operational Plan 2026/27
Recently delivered
Dark sky planning controls and lighting guidelines
Guideline published; applies to development across the shireWarrumbungle National Park is Australia's first dark sky park and the first in the southern hemisphere, and Siding Spring Observatory on its edge houses Australia's most important visible-light telescope. The council has worked with the observatory, NSW Planning and neighbouring councils to develop planning controls and the Dark Sky Planning Guideline, which sets out how to minimise light pollution from homes, businesses, sports grounds, streetlights and illuminated signs. Council has also run public-awareness work, including educational material developed with the Dubbo School of Distance Education. For residents this is the practical reason outdoor lighting choices are regulated here in ways they are not in most NSW council areas.