Ray Smith is far from dull and boring, but he is proud to be a bit 'Bland'.
The general manager of the Bland Shire Council has been on a mission to lure tourists to the New South Wales region with a Hawaiian shirt, a plethora of puns, and an out-of-the-box approach.
Now, having put the unfortunately named shire on the international stage, he is stepping away from the limelight — and other councils want to know what they can learn from his legacy.
Mr Smith has been at the helm of the rural council for 12 years and, during his tenure, cemented it as a member of the 'League of Extraordinary Communities'.
The league is made up of three communities — Bland in Australia, Dull in Scotland and Boring in the United States — which have combined forces to market their offerings.
The challenges of promoting his quirkily named district, based around West Wyalong, prompted Mr Smith to approach the other towns, which had already joined forces, to see if Bland could help form a trio.
The international tourism campaign was born and the Bland Shire has not looked back.
Spicing up Bland
Emboldened by the success of the global campaign, Mr Smith then became the face of the Bland Shire.
He felt the remote shire — home to the Weethalle silo art project, the Lake Cowal wetlands, and Australia's biggest football — deserved a boost after years of drought.
In 2018, he launched the Flavours of Bland food festival, which again poked fun at its name and encouraged diverse businesses and people to help spice up the community.
Mr Smith swapped his suit and tie for a Hawaiian shirt in the promotional video, which even caught the eye of Prime Minister Scott Morrison who offered to share his curry recipe.
Mr Smith's long-time council colleague Craig Sutton said his campaigns led to a marked increase in tourism in the period following COVID lockdowns.
"[Ray Smith] has been asked to speak to councils across Australia because they've cottoned on that what he does works," Mr Sutton said.
But after half a century in local government, Mr Smith has decided that his time as a general manager and pseudo marketing man is at an end.
"I've loved what I have done over those 50-odd years.
"Obviously it's had its ups and downs, but certainly more ups than downs."
Half-a-century career
Mr Smith started as a trainee rates clerk at the Baulkham Hills Shire Council in Sydney, and subsequently worked at the Hornsby Shire, Penrith and Waverley Municipal councils in Sydney.
He was first appointed general manager of Grafton City Council in 1993, and went on to hold the position at the Cobar Shire for five years, before moving to the Bland Shire Council.
"I'll be sad, I've made many friends among the staff here and the community," he said.
"After 12 years you put down certain roots and it's going to be difficult to go, I know that for a fact."
He has seen many changes in his 51-year career, most notably what he says is the gradual increase in bureaucracy imposed on local government.
"There's a lot more regulation coming from the state government onto local councils," Mr Smith said.
He said the NSW government's forced amalgamation process, which started in 2015, was an example of how rural councils were unfairly treated.
"Our total rate income here is about $7 million.
"I know for a fact that some of the Sydney councils, they generate $12 million a year from parking fines and parking meters, just something that rural councils could never compete with."
