Will it be fair? Who will decide where the funds go? And what’s in it for smaller towns? These are some of the questions that have been raised as talks continue on a proposed new-events levy.
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Tamworth Regional Council’s consultations with business stakeholders have already taken place in Nundle, Tamworth and Barraba, and will continue with a breakfast meeting in Manilla on Tuesday.
One attendee, accountant David Kelly, said of the Barraba meeting: “I’d say 65 per cent, probably, of those present went away with reservations and still had concerns, and 35 per cent walked out and thought, ‘I’ve got those concerns, but let’s get on with it’ – I’m definitely in the latter camp.”
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The council proposes to introduce the levy on all rate-paying business properties, a special rate variation the Independent Pricing & Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) will need to approve.
The aim is to help attract and retain events in the region and it would cost “the average business premises … around $101 – less than $2 per week”, according to mayor Col Murray.
It will be even lower in Barraba with its cheaper rates, at an average of about $34 a year – but “a potential bias towards the bigger events in the bigger centres” must be mitigated, Mr Kelly said.
One way would be having town members on an independent group proposed to advise the council on where to spend the expected $600,000 over three years.
“If we don’t have a voice there, the smaller communities, I think, are going to struggle.”
The levy has been
Loud and clear
Tamworth Business Chamber, which is backing the rate rise with certain conditions, had heard that message “loud and clear”, president Jye Segboer said.
“They want to ensure they get the benefit as well, that not everything is going to be Tamworth-centric – that’s really important,” he said.
“We want it to be a balanced panel and people that obviously have an interest in the economic growth of the region.
“We want to see that’s fairly spread around Nundle, Barraba, Manilla, Kootingal – all these areas contributing to this levy must also see returns to their community.”
Another chamber condition, he said, was that the $600,000 “must be spent on event attraction; it’s not to be absorbed by wages”.
“Council already have marketing and events teams, and we don’t want to see that absorbed by wages in council.”