A WEEK remains to have a say on Tamworth Regional Council’s operational plan for the next 12 months.
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It’s a reasonably important document that outlines just how the council is planning on spending ratepayer dollars over the next year, and just what they will be expecting in fees and charges.
Too many people, right across the region, fail to familiarise themselves with this document, many probably unaware their local councils even have one.
There’s nothing wrong with that.
Many people probably think that they’ve elected councillors as their representatives in local government matters, and are confident they will represent their best interests.
However, if something suddenly comes up that someone doesn’t agree with – and which was clearly set out in the operational plan – it becomes difficult to argue a case if they’ve never read the document in question.
Councils give ratepayers at least a month to have their say on this 12-month blueprint and it’s worth at least a cursory look.
Yes, it’s a fairly daunting document, but many councils go out of their way to present it to their ratepayers.
In the case of Tamworth Regional Council, its staff and councillors have embarked on street walks in the smaller communities of Manilla, Barraba and Nundle in an effort to talk to people about the plan and, for the first time, have set up videoconferencing sessions with link-ups from Tamworth to these communities.
An information stand has opened in Peel St for the week, giving people a chance to sit down and “have a cuppa”, airing any concerns they may have about the spending priorities or fees, or just learning a bit more about council’s direction for the next 12 months.
There’s even a “pocket guide” available that condenses the plan into bite-sized pieces that are a bit easier to consume.
The “one-stop-shop” is a first for the council and an attempt to get to those people who may be more comfortable with a face-to-face chat than putting their concerns or suggestions in the written form.
Either way, everyone’s views will be collated in a report that will go back to the council before it gives the operational plan its final approval.
In this age of technology, the avenues for consultation are broader than ever and Tamworth Regional Council should be applauded for using every tool at its disposal to ensure everyone, no matter where they are or who they are, can have a say if they choose.
With a week to go until public submissions close, it really is worth a look – you can’t say you didn’t have the chance.