LISTENING tours of Guyra, Ebor and Black Mountain, fortnightly public meetings and regular community forums are some of the innovations introduced by administrator Ian Tiley to the newly appointed Armidale Regional Council. Dr Tiley chaired Council’s first meeting on Monday.
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He will administer the council, along with senior executives, until September 8 next year, when new councillors are elected.
Meetings will be held mainly in Armidale but also in Guyra chambers, Dr Tiley said. The listening tours will include all villages and centres across the region.
“I want to travel to smaller communities within the area and listen to ratepayers’ concerns,” Dr Tiley said.
“Also, anyone can ‘have their say’ for five minutes at the end of each council meeting.”
Dr Tiley confirmed there was money in the budget to pay existing council staff from Armidale Dumaresq and Guyra Shire for the next year.
He also confirmed a slew of existing infrastructure projects would be funded by the new council, including
- $250,000 combined upgrades of Monckton Aquatic Centre and Guyra Swimming pools
- $6 million to build the Kolora Aged-Care facility
- $450,000 to refurbish the existing aged-care facility into a new pre-school and
- $8.5 million for the new regional landfill project.
An updated budget for the council is scheduled to be published on Council’s website today for the community’s input.
Dr Tiley also committed to a tender panel as a cost-effective way of hiring plant when needed, estimated to cost about $200,000 a year.
Some of the 28 companies that will supply Armidale Regional Council with plant include Ducats, Texas Earthmoving Contractors, Hubbard Hire, Ridley Mini-Skips, Wal Schalk Earthmoving and Terry Rhodes Bobcat Service.
The public gallery was packed with former councillors from Armidale Dumaresq as well as sacked mayors Hans Hietbrink and Herman Beyersdorf.
Afterwards, both agreed the meeting had been well run and they agreed with most of the decisions.
“It was routine, albeit without democratically elected councillors giving their input at the meeting,” Mr Beyersdorf said.
A number of ratepayers used the five-minute Have Your Say section to make suggestions for the new council to consider.
Armidale Dumaresq Ratepayers’ Association chairwoman Maria Hitchcock asked Dr Tiley for a rethink on Armidale Dumaresq’s ratings categories.
“They’re all a bit fuzzy and we’ve had problems with the base rate,” Ms Hitchcock said.
Anthony Hardwicke urged Dr Tiley to lobby John Hollands, operator of the region’s rail services, to reopen disused railway lines between Walcha, Kentucky and Uralla to light rail.
Bradley Allen also called for progress on the planned Guyra rail trail, an idea supported by Dr Tiley.
The next meeting is scheduled for June 27.
