Forbes Shire Council has received an increased amount of development applications in the 2018/19 financial year, up from 127 applications in the 2017/18 year but they have been worth less.
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The 134 development applications were valued at $17,525,967 and six complying development certificates were valued at $876,640.
According to a report presented to Council last week this year saw one of the lowest valuations of development applications in recent years.
The report noted a rise in applications for car ports and sheds from 32 to 40.
Significant projects included two water facilities at Bergen Park.
The previous financial year saw 127 development applications approved valued at $48,914,312 and 12 complying development certificates valued at $1,725,071.
The 2017/18 financial year saw one of the highest valuations in the previous five financial years.
That year saw a rise in industrial development with significant projects including an industrial workshop, expansion of a dairy, expansion of the waste facility and industrial infrastructure.
Last year saw a drop in development for new single residential dwellings and lower commercial and industrial premises development.
The drop in commercial and industrial development was highlighted by Forbes deputy mayor Jenny Webb.
Councillor Webb asked for a report from council staff for the reasons behind the decline in commercial and industrial development applications from $34.5 million in the 2017/18 year as compared to $5.7 million in the last year.
"Is this decline evident throughout the Central West or is just Forbes?" Cr Webb asked.
"Or are there investors coming into town, but we just don't have the land or incentives for people to come into town," Cr Webb said.
Mayor Phyllis Miller told the meeting she didn't think the decline in commercial industrial development applications was about giving incentives, but depended rather on the opportunities available to businesses.
Councillor Webb noted that while the amount from development applications may fluctuate from year to year, the result from the past 12 months was low compared to the previous years.
Councillor Webb asked that Council provide a detailed commercial industrial development applications report to the September Economic and Business Development Committee.
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