Council meeting update - 10 September, 2019

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

Councillors decided to continue their advocacy to secure the water supply for the community and make a submission to the Natural Resources Commission Review of the Peel Water Sharing Plan. The Council’s submission will include five key issues including requesting a change of the Water Sharing Plan to provide Local Water Utilities with 100% of their allocation in year 1 and 100% in year 2.  A report tabled at the meeting explained how Council in 2017 had asked the then NSW Water Minster Niall Blair to make the change but he subsequently advised the NSW Government would not support it. “The current drought highlights the need to provide more water security fro the city of Tamworth, Moonbi and Kootingal,” the report said. The submission will also highlight how transmission losses are not adequately considered in the current water sharing plan, make the point that that the process for determining allocations appears flawed, explain the plan does not provide adequate water security for the city of Tamworth, Moonbi and Kootingal and argue against any move to allocate water previously held in Chaffey Dam to cover losses to another use.

Council has reaffirmed its commitment to renewable energy with its decision to include a request for 20% renewable energy in Expressions of Interest for the renewal of Retail Electricity Supply at large sites and street lighting. A consultant has advised Council will achieve the best priced offers if it has a balance between renewable energy projects being able to meet the load profile and attracting large renewable projects that maximise economies of scale. Over the next 12 months, Council’s large market sites and street lighting are expected to consume 14.6 Gigawatt hours of electricity at a cost of about $3,000,000. Council’s electricity contract for large market supply site will end on 30 December this year. A separate electricity agreement for retail supply of electricity for street lighting also expires at the same time.

Councillors agreed to pursue grant funding to upgrade the mobile phone coverage across the Dungowan Valley. The move is part of Council’s efforts to improve communications in the area under its Dungowan Dam Safety Emergency Plan. 

Council has taken a step towards better understanding the future risk of flooding in Tamworth City in adopting interim flood planning levels detailed in the Tamworth City Wide Flood Study. The study is an essential update of a study completed in 1993. The findings of the study will be used to determine where additional flood mitigation works need to be undertaken. A total of 101 residents and businesses responded to questionnaires issued as part of the study. Council will now move forward with reviewing and updating the Tamworth Floodplain Risk Management  Plan.

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