Local Government Area boundary adjustment - Tingha community engagement

Thank you to the residents who visited Council's community information stall in the Tingha main street on Friday.

Council officers were opposite the town hall from 2.30pm to 4.30pm and were kept busy with community enquiries throughout that time.

It took Council a couple more days that expected to post out the forms to all households and property owners in the affect area, so we've extended the deadline by two days to give people time to consider the proposal and get their completed form back to us.

Remember, only original forms will be accepted. Photocopies will not included in the final count. This is to ensure we only receive one vote from each affected household.

Polling forms have been sent out to residents and property owners in the area identified for possible transfer from Armidale Regional Council to the Inverell Shire Council local government area.

The forms include an explanation of the boundary review and ask recipients to answer a single question, whether they support a local government area boundary amendment that would shift the identified area to the Inverell LGA.

Completed polling forms must be returned, in the provided Reply Paid envelopes, by Wednesday 20 June at close of business.

However, at that time the NSW Minister for Local Government's office indicated a decision on the boundary amendment would not be made within six months either side of the Armidale Regional Council election held last year.

With a new Council in place since September, it’s appropriate the new Council reviews the steps taken so far by Council on this issue

As part of that process, Council must ensure it has done all it can to fully consult with the community before making a submission.

A change in the boundary will affect everyone in the identified area and it’s therefore important that everyone is given plenty of opportunity to voice their opinion.

Council is grateful for the community feedback received on the topic so far. All of that input will be considered as part of Council’s recommendations and will be complemented by this final round of Council’s engagement.

The Tingha township and the identified surrounding areas are valued and integral parts of the Armidale Regional Council area.

However, Tingha’s proximity to the Inverell township and the common interests it shares with that centre has prompted some suggestions it would be better included in that local government area.

A final decision on the proposed boundary amendment will not be made by Council. It will be made by the NSW Minister for Local Government, assisted by further investigation by the Local Government Boundaries Commission, an independent authority.

However, Council must make a submission to the Minister as part of the process and it is important the stance and information in that submission is well informed by consultation about the opinions of community members in the affected area.

A poll which allows individual votes for every member of each household would require considerably more resources – a cost that is ultimately borne by ratepayers.

Council has opted for a polling method on this topic – one vote per household – that reflects and is appropriate for this stage of deliberation on the proposed boundary adjustment. It balances the cost to Council – and therefore community – while ensuring Council is properly informed about the opinions of each household in the area that would be transferred to the Inverall Shire Council area.

While there is likely to be some households with members that differ in their opinions on the topic, Council believes a one-vote-per-household poll will provide a reliable indication of community sentiment for residents and property owners throughout the identified area.

It is important to note that this is expected to be Council’s final round of engagement on the issue before making its submission, so it is important that as many households as possible return their completed polling forms.

The results of the poll and all the other community feedback received on the issue, including public input received during last year’s round of consultation, will be considered by Council to help inform its submission to the NSW Minister for Local Government.

Inverell Shire Council has also lodged a submission with the Minister.

A final decision on whether the boundary is adjusted would be made by the Minister. It is expected the Minister will refer the matter to the Local Government Boundaries Commission for investigation, to assist with the decision.