We are a group of dedicated residents in the Local Government Area with a passion for community driven initiatives for human well- being and collective empowerment, rather than top down executive management, which is not suitable for a local council. Principles of local democracy are paramount in our way of thinking
We are embarking on this journey in the hope that you will join us for meaningful conversations about the current challenges and the way to our future prosperity. Through many community conversations in our area, we understand that the Armidale Regional Council community is anxious and concerned about the current direction and their future prospects.
Let’s have a dialogue during our campaign to exchange ideas with a view to formulating discussion points for our future agenda. If elected we will take them to the Council Chambers.
Please use the form to contact us.
5 responses to “My Opinion Counts!”
By Rob Richardson
It was as good to see James Roncon (GM of Armidale Regional Council) and four of his senior mangers at Monday night’s (12/08/24) meeting of the Armidale and District Ratepayers’ Association.
Whilst James and I share different views on, and the priority of, which water storage dam should be completed first (I’m for Malpas Dam and he seems to favour Oakey Creek Dam) we are in furious agreement on one thing, which is that water security for our region will be the number one issue for the new Armidale Regional Council.
If one or two members of Community First Independents get onto Council, we are committed to seeing the raising of both the Malpas Dam and Guyra Dam walls before work is even considered on the hugely expensive Oakey Creek Dam (or what’s left of it!) project.
Authorised by Rob Taber 684 Dangarsleigh Road Armidale NSW 2350
Some Armidale Regional Councillors have all of a sudden become very interested in raising the wall at Malpas Dam. Could this have been after I ’spilt the beans’ on the lost $27 million (for the Malpas Dam extension) that never quite made it into the NSW state budget in 2022.
I have attached two screenshots from the Council’s business paper from March 23 2022. The first is the recommendation from the Public Works Authority’s Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy (IWCM), that Council should consider two strategies:
1. To purchase Oaky River Dam (as a second water source) and
2. To raise the wall of Malpas Dam by 6.5 meters.
So far I was in total agreement, until I read that the time frame for the Malpas Dam project was 2042! Here’s me naively thinking “But they have the $27 million for the work at Malpas Dam now so just get on with it!” Little did I know that that money never made it into the NSW state budget for 2022/3. I found this out only a four months ago by asking questions of an Upper House MLC, not from our Council. How long did they know that the money never was!
The second attachment are the Minutes from that same meeting (23/03/2022) where Councillors unanimously adopted the Public Works Authority’s recommendation. Did they not see that Malpas Dam wasn’t scheduled to be done until 2042 for goodness sake!
Some of those Councillors, who are also candidates in this election, now think that Malpas Dam is the one that should be done first (political expediency me thinks!), however, that’s not what they voted for in March 2022!
If one or two candidates from Group E get elected on 14 September we will demand to know why the extension of Malpas Dam wasn’t always the priority work and what happened to the $27 million, and we will go searching for more funding to finish the job that Mayor Lloyd Piddington started all those years ago, by using his casting vote to get #MalpasDam built.
Authorised by Rob Taber 642 Dangarsleigh Road Armidale NSW 2350
Siri Gamage-Candidate for Armidale Regional Council
Election for Armidale Regional Council -Moving Forward Together
From the information available, it appears that there are many unresolved core issues pertaining to our Local Government area. One being water security. Mayor Sam Coupland’s latest post shows that if we are to have water security in the future, we should be prepared to pay for it possibly with a 50% government contribution (not confirmed yet?).
We also need to work hard to get Rex airline back to Armidale 0r to get another budget airline. Many residents cannot afford high airfares from Armidale to Sydney and Brisbane. Better connectivity between our LG area with large population and service centres to the north and south has been one of my main concerns for some time. We ought to be able to travel easily with affordable fares to such centres for our medical, recreational, family and other matters. it is here that the council can play a much better role by advocating for a better deal for ground transport with both levels of government. I think the current council has not done enough in this area. If elected this will be one of my main priorities. I support better bus services to Guyra and other locations and re-opening northern railway line for rain services north of Armidale (for passenger, heritage and freight trains). Already there are proposals in the pipeline for such endeavours.
I also support the construction of rail trail without removing the rail line. There are other examples from elsewhere for this option. To adopt a policy where only one option is considered for the rail trail (where the rail line is to be removed) without carefully considering other options and their viability is not the right way. We ought to join forces as a community and seek a better deal from the NSW government by way of better investments -rather than relying only on one option that involves cost shifting to the council.
There are other improvements to be made in council operations. 58% rate rise over 3 years introduced by the current council is starting to bite. It is hitting the hip pockets of local residents and rate payers at a time when cost of living pressures are high anyway. Greens are proposing to delay the 3rd instalment. I support this suggestion. Compared to rates in Sydney even, our rates are very high. Funds raised by the rate rise need to be spent carefully on “essential needs”-not on fancy projects.
So before we can talk about GROWTH, we ought to look after the welfare and needs of our residents and rate payers first. This is why Group E is titled as Community First Independents. I hope that you will consider voting for our group so that we can move forward together while addressing our core issues wisely.
(Authorised by Rob Taber 684 Dangarsleigh road Armidale NSW 2350)
Regional Ground Connectivity is the Key to Growth and Success
This is a very important aspect that the current council has ignored during its term in office.
We all know that since the pandemic, there is no public transport connecting Armidale LG area to Brisbane, Queensland. People are compelled to drive (not many can do so) or use flights that are expensive. Only rail line connecting Armidale to Queensland remains non-operative.
While I understand that public transport is not the responsibility of a council, looking at the way other progressive councils function, at the least our council should be able to advocate for better public transport for the LG area including reactivation of the rail line north of Armidale with both levels of government.
Instead, ARC has been pushing a plan to build a rail trail (bike track) in the rail corridor with a grant of 5.4m received from the government several years ago. The plan involves removing the rail line. This is unacceptable. The rail line should be preserved for future train services (freight, passenger and heritage) -not removed for recreational bike track. There are plenty of spaces for the council to build a bike track. In fact, I support such initiatives.
The motion passed by the council recently (proposed by Cr. Dorothy Robinson) requires the council to investigate practicalities of building the rail trail without removing the rail line. Community First Independent group members will insist on the council follows up on this – if elected.
Furthermore, to realise the Council’s future plans for the next 20 years, we need better transport infrastructure in the LG area -not less. For example, the council plans to build several cycling paths connecting proposed housing zones. While this is important, we cannot move forward by building bike paths. For the long-term growth and prosperity, we should be advocating for better investments in transport infrastructure so that our residents can move north and south in an affordable and convenient way. In particular we need to keep in mind the interests of those who do not have access to a motor vehicle or who cannot drive e.g. Vulnerable groups with medical and other needs.
We need a caring council that speaks for the community – not against it.
(Authorised by Siri Gamage, 6 Crest Road, Armidale NSW 2350)
Growth, Liveability and Connectivity?
In the social media and public posts there is a lot of empty hype about “growth”. According to the plans developed by Armidale Regional Council in the last term (this is the only major achievement it seems!), three areas are mentioned. 1) Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), 2) Horticulture 3) Manufacturing.
REZ: REZ and various renewable energy projects by private sector companies are not council initiated enterprises. REZ is a State significant project combined with the new transmission line. Billions of dollars are being invested in these projects. Flow on effect for the council is that the council has negotiated some payments by companies to assist with performing its role when it comes to providing services. However, there is a lack of transparency about such payments and where the money will be spent? Housing for temporary workers is another flow on effect. Council’s future housing plan is partly to address temporary worker housing shortage. This is fine but the problem I have is that these housing zones are to be connected only by cycling paths?
Horticulture: This is water intensive agriculture. Council has failed to nominate a single new horticulture project coming to our LG area in the next few years. Planning is good but a plan has to be accompanied with strategies to attract new industries in growth drivers as the council prefers to call. A major problem here is the lack of water security for the existing population and industry let alone new ones after Rob Richardson (our candidate No 2) revealed that the 27m promised by a former politician representing Northern tablelands in 2022 is no more there to raise the wall in Malpas Dam? Now the council seems to focus on Oakey Dam (with broken wall) requiring over 100m to repair it and build a pipeline to Armidale. No idea where the money will come from to repair the dam wall and build pipeline? With water insecurity how can we move forward for growth in population, jobs, housing, industry etc?
Manufacturing: What manufacturing? Can the council nominate a single manufacturing facility that will come to our LG area as a result of the plans developed by the council for next 20 years? Are there any in the pipeline? When I posed this question in social media, someone who is a member of the local national party branch mentioned that existing businesses are investing more. He even gave the example of UNIPLAN. Here again, these are natural growth initiative by individual businesses. Nothing to do with Council’s growth plans. I cannot see any “Strategy” to attract more manufacturing to the LG area. Expanding the business park near the airport can be one option. If we are elected to the council, we will identify various strategies to attract more businesses and industries to our area. In relation to this, starting a freight rail connection to Armidale and beyond can be a growth driver. Council needs to be an active advocate of this with the NSW and federal governments.
(Authorised by Siri Gamage 6 Crest Road Armidale NSW 2350)