As of Monday, March 27, both Armidale Regional Council and Inverell Shire Council indicated the majority of residents within a proposed boundary shift from ARC have voted to make the move to Inverell.

Residents within the boundary area outside Tingha township were originally notified they had until March 20 to submit their vote on which council to join.

ARC director of planning and environment Greg Meyers is managing the process, and said council extended the deadline to give rural residents a chance to respond. 

“The deadline had been extended until (March 27). Consequently, there will be no final numbers until after today,” he said. 

“At this stage the response is suggesting a majority is in favour of a boundary change. Information will be collated tomorrow (March 28), and a report produced."

Should the majority vote to leave ARC and move into Inverell, ARC administrator Dr Ian Tiley indicated at a February meeting with Inverell mayor Paul Harmon and Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall, the vote of the people would be respected.

Inverell general manager Paul Henry said on Monday afternoon, his numbers tallied with the ARC.

“As of Friday there was only one of the respondents keen to stay with Armidale, and all the rest to come to Inverell,” he said

Mr Henry said Armidale had promised to send copies of the responses, and verified ARC had previously stated they would follow through to employ the results of the democratic process.

“If the majority of respondents wish to be transferred to Inverell, the administrator would pass the necessary resolution at a meeting of council,” Mr Henry said.

“And obviously, Inverell’s in support of that position because Inverell asked that that area be included in our area, so council certainly won’t object to the administrator informing the Minister (of Local Government, Gabrielle Upton) of his support for a boundary adjustment.”

Mr Henry said should the boundary change take place, with a shift of assets in both directions, there would be an evaluation of Inverell’s current Fit for the Future benchmarks.

“Clearly there would be an impact on council’s financial strategy, because there’s an increase in the number of assets that need to be maintained,” Mr Henry said. 

“Conversely, there are a series of increase in various income sources, so once the final details are known, those necessary adjustments can be made to Inverell council’s long-term financial plan.”