Council Meeting Update 25 June 2024

Here is an overview of outcomes from tonight’s Ordinary Meeting of Tamworth Regional Council.

• Tamworth Regional Council has voted to increase its total ordinary rate income by 18.5 per cent next financial year through implementing the Special Rate Variation approved by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal. The decision was supported by a majority of the 9 Councillors. Councillors Rodda and Mears formally requested for their names to be recorded as voting against the move.

  The decision came after some lengthy discussion about Council’s Integrated Planning and Reporting documents for 2024/25 which include Our Delivery Plan 2023-2025 and Our Annual Plan and Budget 2024/25, Statement of Revenue Policy 2024/25 and Fees and Charges 2024/25. These documents set out the service delivery, projects and works council will carry out in the coming year along with the schedule of rates, fees and charges.

  For the first time, the draft documents included two scenarios - the Base Case Scenario and the Special Rate Variation Scenario. However, Council agreed to move forward with the Special Rate Variation of an Ordinary Rate increase of 18.5% in year 1 inclusive of a 4.9% Rate Peg increase and 15% in year 2 inclusive of a projected 2.5% Rate Peg increase, as approved by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal.

  In addition to the Ordinary Rate rise, there will be an increase of 4.9% per cent to water availability (annual) charges, water consumption (usage) charges and water developer charges and the same increase to waste annual charges. 

• Community feedback will be sought in July about the draft Tamworth Regional Council On-site Wastewater Management Plan after Councillors tonight gave the go ahead for its public exhibition. The draft plan complements the existing 2014 strategy and aims to minimise environmental, public health and economic risks associated with the assessment and installation of on-site wastewater management systems in the region. Consultation about the draft plan will focus on developers, plumbers and installers of wastewater systems, planning and other technical consultants and also property owners. Community members will be able to view the draft plan and give feedback through Council’s Have Your Say webpage.
• Tamworth resident Glenn Inglis has been endorsed to join Council’s Audit Risk and Improvement Committee as an external independent member. The move comes after one of the three independent members resigned and an Expression of Interest process was undertaken to fill the vacancy. Mr Inglis has broad experience working in the Local Government Sector and is a past Tamworth Region Councillor. He will take up the appointment in October for a initial term of four years.
• Councillors tonight supported a recommendation to allocate Event Support Program funds to 11 events in the 2024/25 financial year. The program provides financial and/or in-kind marketing support to successful applicants who are able to report back on the economic benefit and increase visitation to the Tamworth region, as well as support new event feasibility and the growth of established events. The $28,000 investment is expected to return an economic benefit of $8,151,476 with $5,632,113 generated by estimated external visitation.