Like one of those tiny thorns in the sole of your foot you just cannot find, no matter how bright the light, or how deep you dig, Tingha is a stubborn reminder that however small, it is still significant. And it won’t be silenced.

Tingha wants a voice, and they want somebody, wherever they send their rates cheque, to care. 

They are again in the midst of a waiting game while two councils come to the table and review just who cares enough to fight for a community that feels majority under-represented and eager to grow and flourish.

Inverell is ready to take on Tingha, but as a majority voted and voiced at the special meeting held on Wednesday, it is not enough for Armidale Regional Council to simply carve off a small chunk of the whole of what really is a community, and have the economic resources to survive. 

So despite the recommendation in Inverell’s business papers to accept the Armidale’s boundary proposition, and then take their own proposal to the Minister for Local Government, council voted against that plan.

On Wednesday, several councillors stood up and made a case for keeping what makes a community intact. It is not just a physical line in the dirt. Families, culture, sports, social groups, employment, recreation, education, all make up the community. 

That was the argument made by more than a few, and it is worthy. And it was the element ARC seemed to dismiss when they drew a line on a map and made an offer. Inverell argued it was of little use to either Inverell residents or Tingha if a small parcel generating little income to support it was adopted by Inverell. Then nobody will benefit to the extent they desire. That is fair. 

Now it comes down to who will stand up in the larger area to rally for joining Inverell Shire, and that is a different kind of conversation. The people on the land will need to join the discussion and voice their views to Inverell, to Armidale, our MP Adam Marshall and the Minister. 

In the end, Tingha still waits, still hopes for better infrastructure, programs for their young and adult residents, business development, beautification, and they deserve it.