Council Meeting Update - 26 November 2024

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

• In a move aimed to raise recruitment levels and staff retention “in areas of drastic role shortage”, Councillors tonight supported a Notice of Motion from Councillors Brendon North and Charles Impey to investigate the feasibility of “a variety of financially supported training programs for long term staff recruitment and also short-term staffing solutions to rapidly progress development in the area”. Councillors agreed to investigate incentivised cadetships, internships and/or traineeships as well as look into the feasibility of a Virtual Assistant program to “help fill the shortfall in planning staff to progress development approvals in our Council area”. The motion also requested the findings be incorporated into the Workforce Management Plan.
• Councillor Mark Rodda gained support from his fellow Councillors for his Questions with Notice about rate defaults since the introduction of the Special Rate Variation on 1 July 2024 and debt recovery letters issued on behalf of Council from its provider SR Law. A written response from the General Manager (published in the agenda for the meeting) said as of 19 September this year 2,234 overdue letters – 301 less than the number issued in December 2022. In responding to Cr Rodda’s question about the number of residents who have requested assistance for the payment of rates, it was revealed as at 10 October 2024 there was a total of 337 with 279 ratepayers entering payment arrangements, 49 promising payments in the following weeks or awaiting payments to be processed by Council, eight applied under Council Hardship Policy and one ratepayer with overdues had died. The full motion and response can be found in the meeting agenda at www.tamworth.nsw.gov.au/business-paper
• There was extensive debate about a Notice of Motion from Councillor Steve Mears calling for a review of the proposed Special Rates Variation of 15 per cent for the 2025-26 financial year. Councillors agreed the matter needed to be looked at in further detail and decided to have a detailed workshop to talk through the process to date, implementations and the original rationale for the increase. In his motion, Cr Mears asked about the impact to Council’s bottom line should the proposed 15% increase for 2025/26 be “deferred or forfeited”. The General Manager gave a written response included in the business paper which revealed Council would lose $63,021,812 in income over a 10-year period. The full motion and response can be found in the meeting agenda at www.tamworth.nsw.gov.au/business-paper
• There was praise given to Tamworth Regional Youth Council in its efforts advocating for raising the priority for basketball/netball courts to be added to Chaffey Park at Manilla. A Notice of Motion from Councillor Marc Sutherland to move the project forward was supported by Councillors. The Notice of Motion calls for external funding for be actively pursued to ensure the courts are built. The basketball/netball courts are proposed as part of the Council-endorsed Chaffey Park Manilla Masterplan but there is no allocated budget. Manilla youth currently travel to Tamworth to use a basketball/netball court.
• Community feedback will be sought over the coming months on the draft On-Site Sewage Management (OSSM) Operational Strategy after Councillors tonight agreed to its Public Exhibition. The draft Strategy will be open for feedback for an extended period of 56 days rather than the standard 28, to allow for the Christmas and New Year holiday periods. The draft Strategy uses a risk-based criteria to determine appropriate inspection frequency for OSSM systems, ensuring their sustainable operation and aligning with Council’s On-Site Wastewater Management Plan, which was endorsed by Council at the meeting of 27 August 2024. If endorsed, the draft Strategy will supersede the current OSSM Strategy.
• Councillors have resolved to join as a party with the Hills of Gold Preservation Incorporated’s Class 1 merits appeal lodged in the NSW Land and Environment Court against the approved Hills of Gold Wind Farm – State Significant Development. The decision is consistent with Council’s maintained position that it does not support the development as outlined in six written submissions to the both the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure and Independent Planning Commission during the course of the Development Application assessment period. Councillors also supported Councillor Ryan Brooke’s Notice of Motion that Council write to Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water about the Hills of Gold Wind Farm which is currently being assessed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
• Expressions of Interest (EOI) will soon be called for a range of Council Committees and Working Groups to provide an opportunity for interested members of the community to get involved. In endorsing the process, Councillors thanked community members who are currently involved and encouraged them to submit an EOI should they wish to continue their involvement. The Committees and Working Groups seeking members will be: Floodplain Management Committee, Disability Access Working Group, Heritage Working Group, Arts Advisory Committee, Inclusive Culture Advisory Committee, Tamworth City Centre Working Group, Community Safety Working Group, Urban Street Tree Advisory Group and Australia Day Working Group. EOIs for the Tamworth Youth Council are already open. There will be advertising to inform the community when the multiple EOIs are open to be submitted using an online form. They will remain open until 30 January 2025.
• Council will submit a response to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) regarding the proposed 339.3% increase in bulk water charges from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2030. Preliminary analysis suggests that if the increase is approved, Council would need to raise water charges by 10% in 2025-2026 and again in 2030-2031 to cover the higher costs. IPART’s final determination on the price increases won’t be released until June 2025, after Council adopts its draft budget for 2025-2026, creating uncertainty in financial planning. Council is committed to ensuring fair and affordable water prices for the local community and will continue to advocate for these concerns.