A decade ago, our city made national headlines when it became embroiled in a fierce racism row over its decision to reject five Sudanese refugee families.

Tamworth Regional Council (TRC) voted in December 2006 to spurn an offer by the Department of Immigration to resettle the families out of fears it could trigger a Cronulla riots-type situation.

But on Tuesday night, in the very chamber our elected representatives once rejected refugees, the tables finally turned. 

TRC resolved to accept Safe Haven Enterprise Visa holders to take in refugees who are prepared to work or study in regional NSW.

It’s about time our city caught up to the rest of the country, which is becoming increasingly multicultural. 

We only need to look at the huge spike in Tamworth residents taking up citizenship to realise times are changing. 

Tamworth has so many new faces that TRC now holds a citizenship ceremony every two months. 

So far this year, TRC has welcomed more than 65 new Australian citizens from across all different continents. 

TRC made headlines for all the wrong reasons 10 years ago. 

Now lies the opportunity to show its new face to the world. 

Multicultural Tamworth vice-president Brian Lincoln welcomed the move and said Tamworth had “come a long way” in 10 years in welcoming refugees, with a number of local agencies offering support to the city’s new Australians.

There are already about 80 SHEV holders living and working in Tamworth. Welcoming more should be encouraged.

The strict regulations of the visa means holders typically take up jobs that are traditionally “unpopular” and “hard to fill”.

TRC has been found to fall down on a number of fronts in taking in more refugees, including an “overloaded” public health system, lack of refugee health support, inadequate public transport and a lack of trauma counselling services.

But still, the city has rightly stuck up its hand to say Tamworth is an option.

Mayor Col Murray urged community members concerned about accepting refugees to research the visa scheme, which has strict guidelines and criteria that need to be met prior to being resettled.