Enrolment and completion rates at TAFE in regional NSW have dropped, further exacerbating the issue, according to Tamworth mayor Russell Webb.

Cr Webb attended a Regional Skills and Education Forum in Sydney last week along with representatives from 33 other councils, and NSW Minister for Skills and Training Alister Henskens.

"There has been a been a drop in participation in a lot of TAFE related courses, and a massive drop in completion rates from some of those courses," Cr Webb told the Leader.

"This is very, very concerning for us, so these are issued we raised with both the minister and the shadow minister.

"People that are enrolling aren't completing their courses, and some of that has to do with the fact that you have to travel to complete the second part of some courses."

At a Country Mayors' Association meeting the day before, council's own struggles attracting skilled workers were highlighted to NSW Planning Minister Anthony Roberts.

"All of our issues relate to trying to get through the planning process," Cr Webb said.

"We don't have enough planners to meet the requirements and get good planning outcomes, we just can't get them quickly enough, because we don't have enough staff - and that's across the state.

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"It's a little bit like the issues discussed at the skills forum, we just do not have enough people in so many areas."

The pandemic, immigration and a reduction in backpackers have all impacted "massively on skills and labour availability," Cr Webb said.

Another issue the mayor was keen to highlight was biosecurity requirements for new land developments.

"People looking to develop land are very much impacted by some of those biodiversity schemes where there has to be money paid to the government," he said.

"It has got out of hand to a point where it's actually stalling development or causing development not to happen at all because of the cost associated with it."

He said he left both meetings with reassurance "things will get better".

"The minister said he understood the challenges we all face in that space - and it is getting better," he said.

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