TAMWORTH mayor Col Murray has urged the community to ‘get off their butts’ and get involved if the city is to experience any future growth.
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In a State of the City forum, hosted by the Tamworth Business Chamber on Tuesday, Mayor Col Murray said the district can not sit on its hands any longer if it wants to compete with other regional centres.
His comments to the 100-strong crowd followed news this week that the city has been pegged as a Northern NSW capital under an ambitious plan to reach a target population of 100,000 people.
According to Cr Murray, agriculture would form a significant part of the city’s future direction, with a recent trip to China revealing ample opportunities for growth between the city and the Asian giant.
Cr Murray said the city’s plans for the future would need a “whole of community” approach.
“One thing is for certain, if we don’t work together and don’t run in the same direction, we simply can’t achieve that,” he said.
“We need to have a look at how we can work together as a city and work towards that 100,000 and leave a legacy for our children and grandchildren. If we sit on our butts and do nothing, you can bet your boots we will still be floundering on that one per cent of (annual) growth.”
Cr Murray said he believed the city had the “smarts and the capacity” to achieve big things, but it all came down to population growth.
“People say we need a Myer, or a university – we need population growth,” he said.
“If we want highly paid and highly skilled jobs in the future, you’ve got to have population growth.
“We will be working with the Chamber to look at how we can achieve that.”
Cr Murray, Council director of business and community John Sommerlad and entertainment venues manager, Peter Ross, headed up the panel.
The forum was a chance for business leaders to ask questions about the issues that mattered to them.
Skills shortages, tourism and water management were hot on the agenda.
The panel also gave the community an update on some of the city’s big ticket projects.
The audience was told trains could be operating at the site of the Westdale intermodel terminal by March next year, with contracts between council and the operating proponent in the final stages.
“Council has appointed a proponent to design and construct the terminal, and the proponent will be the tenant,” Mr Sommerlad said.
“It is a multi-national company that knows the business back to front, we are in the process of working on the contractual agreement in relation to the terminal – planning is well and truly under way.
“This time next year we hope to have trains rolling along that track.”
Mr Sommerlad said three trains, up to 1.2km long, would enter and depart Tamworth three times a week, with expectations the timber industries in Nundle and Walcha would utilise the facilities.
He said the age of the city’s two council-owned pools meant they were not sustainable for the future.
“The two pools are extremely old and at the end of their life,” he said.
“Council does have to make some decisions as to what will happen in the future.
“We were purely asking for community input in relation to the proposed plan for a new aquatic centre.
“It’s part of the process in saying we have to do something.
“They’re getting old and costing an arm and a leg to maintain, the time has come to make a decision for the future.”
The new centre, to be constructed by 2023, would absorb the current Capitol Theatre, with a new 600 seat facility, along with a recording studio and smaller studio theatre and would also house the Tamworth Conservatorium of Music and eateries.
“It’s about making authentic vibrant and resilient public spaces that are valued by community and admired by visitors,” Mr Ross told the forum.
“It’s about contributing to the city’s soul.”
