Residents across the Central West are invited to have their say on the future of transport in their area through a series of public drop-in sessions.

The NSW Government has released the draft Central West and Orana Strategic Regional Integrated Transport Plan (SRITP), marking the start of a six-week public consultation period for local communities to provide their feedback.

Sessions have been running across the region since 17 November, with the Parkes drop-in taking place at the Cooke Park Pavilion on Thursday, 4 December from noon-3pm.

The draft plan - developed in close consultation with all levels of government, industry stakeholders and community representatives - outlines a long-term vision for safer, more reliable and better-connected services to support an ever-growing population.

To support the consultation period, Transport for NSW is hosting public drop-in sessions across all 19 local government areas covered by the draft SRITP and is inviting all residents to engage in the planning process.

“The draft SRITP is an important document looking at the future of transport across the Central West and Orana region,” said Transport for NSW Acting Executive Director Partnerships and Integration West Holly Davies.

“We listened to stakeholders and communities when developing the draft SRITP and now we want feedback on the draft from the people living in the towns and cities who use the road corridors and transport services to go about their daily lives.

“The Central West and Orana population is expected to grow by 11 per cent up to 2041 and we want to hear people’s ideas on how transport services and networks can change to support that growth.”

The draft Central West and Orana SRITP and supporting materials are available at www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/sritp/central-west-and-orana, while copies of the draft plan are available at local libraries and online.

Submissions on the draft close at midnight on Sunday, 14 December and can be made via the Have Your Say webpage, by emailing engage.sritps@transport.nsw.gov.au or by writing to Strategic Regional Integrated Transport Plans, C/O Transport Planning Branch, Locked Bag 928, North Sydney NSW 2059.

Community feedback will help refine the final plan, Ms Davies said, due for release in 2026.

The Central West and Orana SRITP is one of nine regional transport plans being developed to plan for the future by strengthening safety, reliability and connectivity for communities across regional NSW.