COUNCIL’S deal with a Chinese company looking to invest in a solar project near the airport has hit turbulence.
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Tamworth Regional Council voted against leasing the parcels of land with concerns the move could conflict with future development in the area.
At a recent extraordinary meeting, councillors declined approval for a 25-year lease on some parcels of land, adjacent to the airport.
Mayor Col Murray said the councillors had concerns the proposal for use of council land could clash with potential future growth in the region in the next 25 years.
Cr Murray said the proponent were disappointed with the initial hiccup, but council has vowed to “work actively with the developer to identify any other suitable parcels of land”.
“You can’t afford to be too disappointed with things in the environment we work in,” he said.
“The important thing is the outcome.
“We’ll get a good project out of it, I’m sure.”
While this project remains up in the air, work has begun on the Tamworth airport’s terminal extension and upgrade.
The $4 million project, funded by the NSW government, will hopefully help stem congestion in the check-in, departure and arrivals areas at the airport, the mayor said.
Cr Murray said it was timely to see the works under way following a recent runway revamp, which allows for larger planes to land in Tamworth.
The airport continues to be seen as the impetus for development in the region.
“It’s our front door for many visitors, so it’s our shopfront, so to speak,” he said.
“We’ve had the EOI (expression of interest) process and were at the back-end of negotiations with the successful bidder, which was Qube Logistics,” he said.
“I’ve been surprised by the level of interest, there’s been some really positive interest in land out there.
“So, we’re keen to move that along so we can capture those sales and get a return on the community investment.”
The mayor said he expected new companies to be brought to town by the project.
Jacob McArthur
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
