Council meting update

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

• Community representatives have been added to the Tamworth Regional Heritage Working Group after Councillors tonight endorsed the proposal. The endorsed Melinda Gill from Tamworth Historical Society and Daisy Cutmore of Tamworth Local Aboriginal Lands Council with Amber Vernon as her alternate. Council will advertise to seek a third community representative to join the working group. The working group highlights the value of the region's heritage assets (built, social, cultural, site and recorded) and promotes Council's heritage programs and initiatives.
• A collective vision for the future management of Tamworth's Victoria Park has been formally adopted. Councillors tonight endorsed the Victoria Park Masterplan which sets out a range of actions to guide the park in East Tamworth towards its full potential as a major tourist destination. A Council report said over the last 10 years, the Tamworth Marsupial Park and Tamworth Adventure Playground have expanded and evolved to become a popular destination for locals and tourists alike. In addition, it is now the home of the multi-million dollar Tamworth Regional Astronomy and Science Centre. The masterplan sets out 11 areas with different activities, examines each and details possible future opportunities. The masterplan aligns with Council's Blueprint 100, a strategy for managing sustainable population growth in the future and including improved cultural, social and physical amenity for the local community over the next 20 years. Possible projects listed in the masterplan include enhancing displays at the Tamworth Regional Botanic Gardens and marsupial park, adding landscaping around the track at the Tamworth Miniature Railway, creation of a new entry off Endeavour Drive, the addition of cantilevered walkways on Scenic Drive (which leads to Oxley Lookout) to improve pedestrian safety, additional car parking and toilet upgrades at the marsupial park and provision of a space for the coffee/food van at Oxley Lookout. A Council report said there was strong community engagement as part of the plan's development including 86 responses to the public exhibition of the draft plan earlier this year. There are no funds currently allocated to implement any of the actions of the masterplan. However, the plan recommends Council review the existing and proposed operations of the park and identity future revenue streams to potentially offset the park's ongoing costs.
• As part of its ongoing support of major sporting events, Councillors tonight approved a fee waiver for Tamworth Gymnastic Club's 2021 Country Capital Cup to be held at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre (TRECC) over the June long weekend. It is expected to attract more than 1000 participants from across Australia and generate an economic benefit of more than $912,000 to Tamworth. The estimated fee for hire of the TRECC after community service obligation and other discounts have been applied is $16,191. Council has previously supported the event through granting a fee waiver.
• A textile artwork from the Tamworth Regional Gallery permanent collection will be shown in Vienna after Councillors approved a loan to the Austrian Museum of Applied Arts. Rebecca Mayo's A Cure for Plant Blindness, 2017 will be shown from the end of May until the start of October this year. Her work was part of the exhibition for Open House: 3rd Tamworth Textile Triennial. All costs will be covered by the Australian Museum of Applied Arts.
• The collections of five Tamworth region museums will be more widely accessible thanks to a NSW Government grant of more than $300,000 for a digitation project. Items from the Tamworth Powerstation Museum; Australian Country Music collections; rocks, gem, minerals and fossil collections, Moonbi Museum, Tamworth Regional Film and Sound Archive and Tamworth Regional Gallery will be digitised and documented to a national standard. Council will also offer training and support to the entire New England North West Museum sector as part of the project. The project will build an important partnership between Council and the region's Indigenous community. The creation of Aboriginal designated positions for the project will ensure that important Indigenous items are digitised and documented in accordance with First Nations protocols, knowledge and best practice.