IN THE mayor’s eyes, Tamworth Regional Council registered wins on dry land, in the air and water in 2018.
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Col Murray identified a triumvirate of terrain traversing triumphs for council in 2018, all of which, he believed, would have a long term benefit for the region.
Finally securing the funds to develop the intermodal terminal, which has been touted as Tamworth’s ticket to becoming a rail and road freight mecca, was Cr Murray’s top outcome for the year.
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This was followed by the purchase of the flight training facilities at the airport, which will soon be home to Virgin Australia’s regional pilot academy.
While it has made an undoubted splash in some sectors for the community, taking the biggest strides on the establishment of a year-round aquatic centre for the city rounded out the mayor’s best moments for the year.
He also made a point to mention the “day-to-day” work, such as road repairs and asset management as equally valuable in having a successful year in local government.
The ability to launch large scale infrastructure projects and the attraction of enviable commercial projects, like the Virgin academy, came down to the stability of the council, in Cr Murray’s mind.
“The approach of the councillors is not just to pick easy fruit,” he said.
“We think about the long term beneficial projects for future generations.
“Some councils just think about the projects they can get finished in four year terms.”
Glancing back at 2018, it seemed there was a minimal number of regrets which lingered for the mayor.
“Just some of the funding applications that didn’t get up, I thought we got the process right, but it is always a challenge,” he said.
“A lot of funding programs are over-subscribed by 100 or 200 per cent so someone has to lose, we got our fair share, but it would have been nice to get a bit more.
“And the aquatic centre, I’d be happier if we got a little bit further a long, we worked hard at it and community engagement is pretty difficult and challenging, but I think we can be pretty satisfied.”
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.
