Council meeting update - 11 February 2025

Tuesday 11 February, 2025

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

  • Improved turnover of on-street parking spaces along with the addition of about 200 more free off-street all-day parking spaces in the Tamworth CBD are just two of the benefits drivers can expect after Councillors formally endorsed the Tamworth Regional Parking Strategy. There was considerable debate among Councillors before the majority voted to adopt the strategy. The strategy aims to increase the availability of different types of parking to meet the needs of drivers across the region. It includes a mix of free and paid parking as well as different periods of timed parking, parking for people with a disability and long vehicle parking. The first strategy actions are expected to be put into effect in a matter of months while the introduction of meter parking in Tamworth’s Peel Street is expected in the second half of 2025.
  • Tamworth Regional Film and Sound Archive will have a new permanent home at Council-owned premises at 218 Peel Street (near Tamworth Powerstation Museum). Councillors tonight agreed to allocate the funds to upgrade the existing building using the rental income which had been received for the premises. The archive was in Ray Walsh House but was forced to move when the building was vacated due to failure of the air conditioning system and subsequent discovery of asbestos. The archive is dedicated to preserving the region’s film and sound heritage and has a collection which dates back to 1916. It has about 8,000 cans and cassettes of locally and regionally produced visual material and more than 20,000 items on its database along with historical audio material. Councillors formally thanked the archive’s dedicated volunteers for their patients, on-going efforts and resilience while a permanent home was secured. It is currently operating from three sites.
  • In a move to ensure future residential development is in line with needs and expectations of the local community, Councillors tonight agreed to set a minimum lot size of 2,000 square metres to undertake a dual occupancy on land zoned R2 Low Density Residential under the Tamworth Regional Local Environmental Plan 2010 (TRLEP 2010). A report tabled at the meeting explained that without a minimum lot size, the NSW Government’s mandate allows dual occupancies on all R2 land in the Tamworth local government area regardless of the prevailing low-density character. Under the TRLEP 2010, the majority of local land zoned R2 Low Density Residential land is at Moore Creek (Hills Plain), Calala, Westdale, Hillvue and Oxley Vale. Council will now advise the Department of  Planning, Housing and Infrastructure of its nominated minimum lot size in the R2 Low Density Residential Zone.
  • Councillors tonight applauded the 2024 Tamworth Regional Youth Council for their efforts in playing a significant leadership role last year and formally endorsed new representatives for 2025. A report tabled at the meeting said over the past 12 months the youth council has delivered two major events as part of Youth Week 2024, secured $10,975 in grant funding, judged submissions in Tamworth’s Young Archie portrait competition and were invited to attend the NSW Youth Summit. The newest members of the 2025 Youth Council were formally appointed following an Expression of Interest process was undertaken at the end of last year. There were 23 successful submissions from a diverse range of young people around the region aged 15 to 18 years, wanting to represent their peers. The first meeting of the new youth council is expected to be later this month.
  • Council will seek community feedback about the proposed removal of the Reduction in Water Consumption Charges Policy in the coming month. Councillors agreed to the proposed change following the installation of more than 23,000 automated water meters across the region. The meters enable locals to access their current water usage and leak information using the My TRC Water Portal, and to be more proactive in their approach to water consumption and any necessary property maintenance. Council will be undertaking a community awareness campaign to encourage uptake and use of the My TRC Water Portal.