THE FINANCIAL fallout of the COVID-19 crisis on Tamworth Regional Council (TRC) services has been laid out in reports presented to councillors, which include the council's budget.
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Councillors adopted the 2020/21 Annual Operation Plan at their ordinary meeting on Tuesday evening.
The plan sets out the projects and services council will deliver to the community in the coming year, but councillors also considered two reports highlighting the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Tamworth airport, entertainment venues in the city and sport and recreation facilities were among the hardest hit sections of council's operations, the Budget Variation for May 2020 report revealed.
Councillor Glenn Inglis said it highlighted the "lack of willingness" of the federal government to make support like JobKeeper more available to local government.
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"The entertainment venues and the sport and recreation services - they've had a decreased income of 33 per cent and 28 per cent," he said.
Cr Inglis said the threshold for local government to be eligible is based across the entire business.
"Local government doesn't work like that, that was just a con," he said.
"We've had no assistance at all, so we really have been hung out to dry there."
The report tabled at the meeting stated those facilities in particular had seen a sharp drop in operational revenue, but operating costs had remained the same, comparatively.
The Annual Operation Plan 2020/21 accepted by Tamworth councillors on Tuesday shows plans to spend $195.3 million of general, water and sewerage funds, deliver just more than $90 million in capital works, and collect $71.9 million in income from rates and charges.
It is expected changes to the budget will be presented to TRC in the next few months, as the full impact of COVID-19 on the council's bottom line becomes known.
TRC had previously estimated a $4 million loss in revenue to June 30 this year, due to the coronavirus crisis.
Councillors decided to wait a year before pressing on with detailed plans for the proposed Tamworth Regional Aquatic and Leisure Centre, due to high expenditure and no short-term return.
Key features funded in the draft budget include about $28 million on roads and bridges.
Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald.
Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald.
