The Taylors, together with their 4 year old daughter Emma, relocated to Dubbo in 2018 after Matt accepted a role with Dubbo Regional Council. Matt, who grew up in regional New Zealand before moving to Sydney in 2005, said that “a main motivation was (and is) to help contribute to the community my family will grow up in, to see positive outcomes from the work I do, to have a sense of ownership, which I never felt I had in Sydney – due to not living and working in the same Council area.”
Sandy, who had grown up in Sydney and loved her secure and rewarding job in a major tertiary hospital, was sceptical about making the move to a regional area but saw the appeal in leaving the bustle of the city behind. Sandy said “I was exhausted with the travel and constant demands of city life. We hoped that moving to a regional setting would provide a better balance for us as a family.”
When considering making the move, Matt and Sandy knew there were several ‘must-haves’ for their new home. Number one on the list was employment, there had to be jobs that met the Taylor’s requirements now, as well as opportunity for progression. Second was access to a good range of essential services including quality education, health care, a major hospital and professional services. Third was an airport with services to Sydney. And finally, their new home had to have things to do, especially recreational activities. Matt expressed that “Dubbo ticks all these boxes.”
Sandy has been enjoying the opportunities that a career at Dubbo Hospital has opened up for her. Sandy shared “I was successful in securing an educator’s position and I have been encouraged to see a number of my skills utilised and developed further since starting. I have met a number of other nurses who have also commenced recently after moving from Sydney and it is encouraging to see the new opportunities available as the hospital site continues to grow and develop. It has surprised me how quickly I have come to feel like I am part of the team at work and that I now have more time and energy before and after work to enjoy family time.”
Matt is excited about the future potential, “In my time living in Dubbo I have noticed there’s a buzz about the city and so much going on with new businesses and industries choosing to base themselves in Dubbo, major investment projects underway with more in the pipeline, and attractions to enjoy.”
When you ask the Taylors what they believe is the biggest positive their move has afforded their family, the unanimous answer is time! Sandy said “we are no longer exhausted by the time the weekend comes as the work/life balance is much better we can enjoy the weekends and find ourselves out and about more often with plenty of activities for the family.”
And Matt agreed “without a doubt the main benefit to living in Dubbo is the amount of time I get back each day to enjoy life. I used to have a daily three hour round trip to work but now I get to work in under 10 minutes which means more quality time with my family, more time to exercise and more time to socialise. And even Emma approves, declaring there is more “time for babyccino’s!”
“Dubbo is such a friendly and welcoming city. New work colleagues, neighbours, even families we meet at the local park have all been so friendly and genuine. This has made settling into Dubbo less daunting, especially after leaving the security of family and friends in Sydney and to our complete surprise there are so many good quality food options and cuisines offered in Dubbo. Be it cafes, restaurants or pubs using locally sourced produce and great coffee too. It’s hard to beat a fresh bacon and egg roll and a coffee at the local farmers market after the Saturday morning Dubbo parkrun!
Residents of Dubbo enjoy so many benefits like ample free parking, a venue of choice for major touring events in the Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre, and even discounted entry for locals to exciting tourist attractions like Taronga Western Plains Zoo and Old Dubbo Gaol, just to name a few. When asked what the future looks like for the Taylors – the family says “down the track will see us settled in our house, veggie patch, chooks and busy with school activities and sport. We think Dubbo has what we want to feel comfortable and really has all that we need for our family.”
Matt, Sandy and Emma have not looked back since joining the community of Dubbo and have expanded their family, with baby Sophie arriving in 2019! Matt encourages anyone who is “tired of the traffic, transport delays, the crowds, the queues, and the high cost of living to give regional NSW (especially Dubbo) a go to see there is another way of life. You’ll be surprised at what you find beyond the Blue Mountains…we were.”
