MAYOR Col Murray is putting pressure on the city’s local members and candidates to bag funding for a couple of major projects in a twin-election year.
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Tamworth residents will be subject to two election campaigns in the coming months with state and federal polls coming in the first half of the year.
While the electioneering could get could get tedious for the voter, it poses a rare opportunity for council to lobby for money with a new pool and performing arts centre in the works.
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Whether 2019 is a success for Tamworth Regional Council could hinge on the ability of the candidates and local members to make the facilities a reality.
Cr Murray wants to see the intermodal freight facility fully functioning and some “solid land sales” by the time we’re ringing in 2020 and said the performing arts centre and the aquatic centre would feature prominently on council’s agenda.
“I’d like to see us have our funding strategy and costings pretty-well finalised for the performing arts centre,” he told the Leader.
In terms of getting the millions to make it happen, it was “up to our local members and candidates”, he said.
“Council has done its role,” he said.
“It’s up to the community to bring some pressure on those candidates.
“We find ourselves in a good position, but it is going to be tough.”
He said getting funding for the aquatic centre would be a “serious challenge”, while other councillors have said there’d be a “snowball’s chance” of seeing the money before the March 23 state election.
“I think council has done the hard yards get to the point where we can present our plan to governments pre-elections,” he said.
“It’s the best opportunity to attract funding.”
Some are suggesting Labor could be taking the rein in Macquarie Street and Canberra, but Cr Murray was unfazed, even if it meant having MPs in opposition.
“It’d be a bit different with a Labor government, but not impossible,” he said. “We’ve been there before and we’ve been working on a relationship with federal Labor.
“Council sees our role to work with the government selected by the people, we don’t need to have an opinion on it.”