TRC Meeting 22 Fb 22

2nd March 2022

Council meeting update

Here is an overview of outcomes from TRC Ordinary Meeting Tuesday 22 February, 2022:

There was high praise for the success of tree planting initiatives when Councillors discussed a report from the Urban Street Tree Management Plan Advisory Group including a proposed 2022 Greening Strategy. The proposal follows the success of the 2021 strategy which saw about 9000 new trees planted in the region. The proposal for this year identifies sites in Tamworth, Oxley Vale, Calala, Kootingal, Manilla, Bendemeer and Woolomin across the Tamworth region for tree planting in autumn, winter and spring as well as a planting project in the Tamworth CBD including more than 100 trees. Councillors supported the proposed strategy and agreed for external funding to be sought for the CBD project.

Councillors resolved to make a written submission to the NSW Department of Planning and Environment to highlight concerns they have with the NSW Government’s Reform of Infrastructure Contributions. Councillors formed the opinion that the reforms tend to provide benefits to the development industry by cost shifting from the developer to all ratepayers. However, rates have been pegged at such a low level by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal that many Councils - including Tamworth Regional Council - will have no real capacity to enhance facilities to meet residents’ expectations for a liveable community with good amenity. The submission will highlight Council’s concerns about rate pegging now being coupled with infrastructure contributions reform as well as proposed restrictions on developer contributions which result in Council being able to charge contributions for community land but not for any contributions towards building a facility on that land. Tamworth Region Mayor Russell Webb told tonight’s meeting the local community is “significantly disadvantaged” by the reforms. “The State Government’s demographers projected our growth at .0.4 and set our rate peg using that but we are actually growing at between 1.5 per cent and 2 per cent.”

For more information, see the full reports at www.tamworth.nsw.gov.au/business-papers

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

News for March 2022