While Armidale Regional Council go back to the drawing board on Tingha’s boundary adjustment, Inverell’s council will remain neutral.
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Talk of a boundary adjustment began when Guyra Shire Council amalgamated with Armidale Dumaresq in 2016.
Tingha residents expressed their interest of having the boundary moved to be included in Inverell’s shire, rather than the newly formed Armidale Regional Council.
But the move was blocked by the Electoral Commission NSW who would not allow a boundary adjustment within six months of an election.
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Now the six months are coming to a close and momentum is heating up as Armidale Regional Council begin their last round of community consultation with Tingha.
Mayor Paul Harmon said looking at boundary adjustments during talk of council amalgamations was a philosophy Inverell Shire Council had upheld way before his time.
“In doing so, it needs to be around a community of interest. A community of interest is a community where people shop, seek services and have the most connection to.
“A lot of people in this community would have already thought Tingha was part of Inverell Shire,” he said.
The campaign to move Tingha into Inverell Shire has been largely driven by Tingha’s Progress Association, and backed by local community members.
“We haven’t been advocating for Tingha but we’ve attended one of their meetings to provide them with information they wanted to know to be able to make the decision on whether they wanted to become part of Inverell Shire,” he said.
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Information provided at the meeting, according to Mr Harmon was around rates, fees and charges, and a number of things the council do for outer-lying villages including their self-help programs.
Inverell Shire has also conducted surveys, and sat down “at length” with the administrator of Armidale council, and senior staff to discuss appropriate boundary adjustments.
”We have a council resolution and have debated this on a number of occasions raising the fact that if Tingha wish to become part of Inverell’s shire we would welcome then with open arms.
“But of course we won’t come bearing any gifts. The decision should always lie with the community as to whether they’d like to join our shire,” Mr Harmon said.
