Council meeting update - 27 July, 2021

Tuesday 27 July, 2021

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

 Councillors tonight took an important step towards ensuring a strong future for the Tamworth Country Music Festival beyond its 50th year by approving the formation of a Tamworth Country Music Advisory Group. They agreed the move would “contribute in a meaningful way to ensure the Festival remains Australia’s biggest and foremost music festival”. Tamworth Region Mayor Col Murray said the new group was a form of “succession planning” for the Festival. “There is a core group of people in our community who have helped to grow and develop the Festival but the years have moved on and they won’t be around forever – it’s important we prepare for generational change and this group is a way to help that happen,” he said. “The cultural and historic elements which have defined Tamworth as the Country Music Capital must not be lost or allowed to diminish.” Councillors decided the new group will have at its core the “Mayor of the day”, one other Councillor, the Director of the Festival and other relevant Council staff. The group will appoint and co-opt willing and “suitably qualified individuals” including from organisations such as the Country Music Association of Australia and the local community who “reflect the diversity of the City’s country music assets and events”. It was agreed the group’s charter will be to “advise, comment and make recommendations to Council to protect, preserve and grow the City’s country music festival, country music assets and to explore other opportunities to enhance the city’s music credentials”.

 Despite recent rainfall, flowing rivers and dams nearing capacity, Councillors tonight agreed that exploring further avenues to increase water security for the Tamworth, Moonbi and Kootingal water supply is of extreme importance. The next step in this process will entail drilling two test bores at the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre after investigative works undertaken by contractor SMEC, as part of Council’s Emergency Water Supply Plan, identified parts of the site as having good groundwater potential. The test bores, which will be funded by Council’s Water Reserve, will be assessed on water location, quality, flowrates, recharge rates, and aquifer impact. If the test bores are drilled and found to be able to provide a significant flow at suitable quality, then Council would be able to consider this when the draft Drought Management/Water Management Plan is reviewed later this year.

 A plan to guide the ongoing maintenance, improvement and expansion of the local footpath and shared pathway network, the draft Active Transport Strategy 2021, was tonight adopted by Councillors. A report to Council said the draft plan drew wide support from the community when feedback was sought earlier this year. The draft plan - put together in consultation with the community and discussions with key groups - followed best practices on a national, state and local level. The plan will guide Council staff over the next 10 years in providing a safe, inclusive and connected network for the community. Across the Tamworth region, there are about 36km of shared pathways and 118km of footpaths. Council staff will continue to seek funding from the Federal and State Government programs to undertake works proposed in the strategy. At this stage, with all current available funding, an additional 7.7km of shared pathway and 2.2km of footpath will be constructed across the region by 2023.

 Councillors have tonight adopted the Northern Inland Centre of Sporting Excellence 2021 Master Plan, a plan to expand and diversify Tamworth’s sporting facilities. They also agreed to continue to work with State sporting organisation to ensure the precinct “is developed as the premier sporting hub for North West NSW” and to explore funding sources for proposed works. The precinct centred around Jack Smyth Drive on the southern side of Tamworth currently includes the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre (AELEC), Tamworth Sports Dome, Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre, Tamworth Regional Hockey Complex, Tamworth Regional Gymnastics Centre, Tamworth Regional Athletics Centre and Tamworth Regional Cycling Centre. The master plan identifies possible future works in three categories: Sport, AELEC and support infrastructure. The masterplan does not prioritise any proposed works in any set timeframes. The possible new facilities may include an aquatics and leisure centre, construction of a new multipurpose oval and grandstand, gymnastics centre extension and establishing a new dressage arena and a polocrosse field at the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre. The masterplan aligns with a number of federal, state and regional strategies as well as Council’s Blueprint 100. The precinct is recognised as a significant regional sports hub and has successfully secured and has hosted a number of local, state, and national sporting events.

For more information, see the full reports

Watch the Mayor's video report at www.facebook.com/TamworthRegionalCouncil