Cabonne and Orange City councils have again decided against participating in Country Week this year, with both councils saying the money could be better spent elsewhere.

The estimated cost for Cabonne to participate in Country Week 2009, to be held at Rosehill Racecourse in August, is $9880.

Cr Duffy said the money could be better spent.

“At this present time a grassroots thing like Cumnock is more effective. It’s brilliant for Cumnock, for Cabonne and for the whole Central West. Other towns are now looking at how to do it. The big picture with Country Week is that people just don’t come,” he said.

Dozens of people have recently relocated to Cumnock as a result of the Rent a Farmhouse scheme, which offered run-down farmhouses to families willing to renovate them at a cost of $1 per week.

The scheme has achieved its aims of keeping the school bus run going and has boosted the village’s population by 20 per cent.

Orange City and Cabonne councils last participated in Country Week in 2005 at a cost of about $33,000 to Orange and $6000 to Cabonne, with both councils receiving only a handful of inquiries as a result.

Orange councillor Gavin Priestley said the work of Brand Orange in establishing Orange’s food, wine and lifestyle image had measurable results.

“We’re getting good results out of Brand Orange and Taste Orange. As an indication, the amount of people going through our visitors’ centre in Orange is up by 15 per cent,” he said.

Country Week has been held annually since 2004 to showcase opportunities for relocation and expansion to country areas.

Cr Priestley said it had the potential to be valuable but that the current regional approach seemed to be working well.

“The real issue is trying to get people to consider regional Australia as a place to live. They’ll probably visit it first, and visit it several times before they move. That’s what the data tells us,” he said.