Council meeting update - 23 November 2021

Tuesday 23 November, 2021

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

 Three key statutory reports were presented at tonight’s final meeting of the current Council. They include the Tamworth Regional Council 2020-21 Annual Report, the 2017-2021 End of Term Report and the Bi-annual Progress Report January-June 2021. The annual report gives a snapshot of the past financial year and details the delivery of projects, services and activities along with financial outcomes. It shows Tamworth Regional Council sustained a
a $2.3 million decrease in revenue in 2020-21 due to ongoing financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was due to significantly reduced airport fees and charges as well as events income due to the unavoidable cancellation of the 2020 Tamworth Country Music Festival and other events. However, the report also reveals Council is building economic recovery by making the most of COVID-19 economic stimulus packages being offered by the NSW and Australian governments. It was a busy year of infrastructure projects including the start of work on the multi-million dollar Tamworth Global Gateway Park, an enterprise park and logistics hub which will be the home of new businesses and create new jobs for the next 20 or more years. The pace has not slowed as we have entered the current financial year which has a record budget of $251 million including $106.4 million in capital works to improve our community facilities and infrastructure.

 In a move which aligns with Council’s strategy for future growth of the Tamworth region, Councillors have agreed to seek approval from the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment to start a process which may lead to rezoning a 105-hectare site on the northern outskirts of Tamworth from rural to residential. The land – at the corner of Manilla Road and Browns Lane – is the current home of the Stratheden horse stud which also provides horse agistment and produces animal feed. A report presented to Councillors said the Stratheden locality was first identified as having potential for future residential development in 2019 when Council ran Blueprint 100 strategic planning consultation sessions. If the planning proposal is given the green light by the department, in what is known as a Gateway Determination, Council will then publicly exhibit the proposal and invite the community to have their say about it.

 Five community committees will share close to $30,000 in grants under Council’s 2021-2022 Facility Improvement Fund Program after Councillors endorsed the allocations. Dungowan Recreation Ground Committee will receive $10,000 for improvements to the brick amenities block while Limbri Public Hall and Recreation Reserve Committee will get $10,000 for a new unisex toilet designed for people with a disability, $3,809 will go to Piallamore Recreation Reserve Committee for improvements to the courtside building, Tamworth Regional Film and Sound Archive Committee for an upgrade to workspace ventilation and Woolbrook Hall and Park Committee $4,838 to upgrade the kitchen facilities. The unallocated $40,554 will be made available early next year as a second round to the program.

 Councillors have endorsed a recommendation from the Heritage Working Group for a suitably qualified heritage landscape architect to be engaged to prepare a Heritage Masterplan for Tamworth’s Anzac Park. It was agreed that a Heritage Masterplan should be prepared due to the heritage status of the park to guide future maintenance and enhancements. The Masterplan would include a maintenance schedule and also list the types of materials and plant species to be used to maintain the park’s heritage status and ensure future upgrades respect its history. It is envisaged work on the masterplan will start in the first half of 2022.

For more information, see the full reports

Watch the video report at www.facebook.com/TamworthRegionalCouncil