Funding for new Barraba recycling facility

Establishment of a community recycling facility at Barraba Landfill is among projects funded in the Tamworth Regional Council 2019-20 Annual Operational Plan.

Councillors at Tuesday night’s Ordinary Meeting formally adopted the plan which sets out the service delivery, projects and works council will carry out in the coming year along with the schedule of rates, fees and charges.

An allocation of $75,000 from the waste reserve will fund the new community recycling facility. There is also $50,000 allocated for renewal works at the Connors Creek Dam at Barraba. 

Council will spend a total of $179 million across its general, water and sewerage funds in 2019/20 while collecting $72 million in income from rates and annual charges and delivering an $80.7 million capital works program to improve local facilities and infrastructure.

Tamworth Region Mayor Col Murray said the Budget is the roadmap for the next year’s expenditure and delivery of projects.

“We are quite solid financially but we face continual pressure with cost increases and changing expectations about what the core business of Council is,” he said. “We work hard through the community strategic plan process to understand the needs and wants of the community and to address them through the Budget.”

The major capital projects allocated funding for the coming year include: Manilla Water Supply Upgrade - $14 million  Northern Inland Centre of Sporting Excellence Stage 2 - $9 million Road pavement renewals - $3.4 million Road reseals - $3.4 million Gravel road renewals - $2.07 million  Manilla Low Level Bridge - $5.5 million (total project is $8,773,892)  Tamworth Regional Astronomy and Science Centre - $1.4 million Garoo Road upgrade - $1.8 million Bowlers Lane upgrade - $2.9 million  

There will be a 2.7 per cent increase in ordinary rates, which is the increase approved for 2019-20 for all NSW Councils by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal. The total rates income is $36.8 million. Council will increase water, sewerage and trade waste service and waste management charges by 2.7 per cent. Consumption charges for water use will also increase by 2.7 per cent. 

Changes to fees and charges include the cost of accessing water from bulk water refill stations (located around the region) will increase from $2.50 to $10 a kilolitre from July 1, 2019 for total volumes less than 7 kilolitres in one transaction. The fee for volumes greater than or equal to 7 kilolitres in one transaction will increase from $2.50 a kilolitre to $2.57.