Council Meeting Update - 11 August 2026

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

  • Following an Expression of Interest process during July, Councillors tonight appointed two new members to Council’s Precinct Advisory Committees. Rory Davis and Kyiah Holland will now occupy Youth Member (16-25 year) positions on the Manilla and Kootingal/Moonbi/Bendemeer Committees, respectively. The committees aim to strengthen Council’s connection with local communities and focus on strategic rather than operational issues affecting each precinct.
  • Councillors approved the proposed name ‘Starbush Lane’ for a currently unnamed Council road off Nundle Road, Dungowan. The name recognises the Starbush, a critically endangered plant species found only in areas surrounding Dungowan Dam. The proposed road name will now be placed on public exhibition for community feedback. If no submissions are received, the name will be published in the NSW Government Gazette and formally adopted.
  • Councillors tonight endorsed the public exhibition of the Draft Voluntary Planning Agreement (VPA) for the proposed Calala Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). The endorsement also included amending a resolution from the Council meeting of 12 May 2026, reinstating the Developer’s original requirement that at least 20% of the Developer's Contribution be allocated to agreed projects for First Nations communities in support of Council's Closing the Gap commitments and Mara Ngali Partnership Agreement.
  • Councillors were informed that the Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW) will be undertaking selective harvesting in the Nundle State Forest for four months from November this year. The identified harvest area includes Crown (Forestry) Land managed by Council within the Dungowan Dam Catchment under a lease agreement. As the land manager, Council must allow FCNSW to manage the forest and will be entitled to a third of the net royalty for timber harvested in leased areas managed by Council. FCNSW policies and procedures will mitigate water quality risks and environmental impacts.
  • Councillors discussed the removal of vegetation in the median of Jack Smyth Drive and the roundabout at The Ringers Road which impedes sight lines to pedestrians and other road users. This makes up part of the pedestrian safety improvements being undertaken within the Sports and Entertainment Precinct. Councillors were given four options to consider and they decided on option 3 which will see the removal of vegetation and other obstructions only where required to achieve compliant sight lines, with an amendment to densify the plantings in the remaining vegetated areas. This would result in approximately 75 metres of existing mounded vegetation being retained within the central portion of the median.
  • Councillors have agreed to write off $141,245.59 of sundry debts where it is either uneconomical to recover the debt, or legal grounds to recover the debt have already been exhausted.