Tamworth Regional Council candidates Gemma-Lea Tolmie and Ryan Brooke started their campaign taking aim at the current Council’s proposed 36.3% Special Rate Variation, with a little help from NSW Greens MP Amanda Cohn.
“We think that such a large rate rise in such a short period of time isn’t in the best interest of residents, given that the country is going through a cost of living crisis,” Mr Brooke said.
“We want to see more options explored instead of such a large rate increase in such a short period of time.”
Cut spending rather than raise rates
Mr Brooke instead suggested that Council would be better off cutting down on “vanity projects” like the proposed Skywalk and Aquatics Centre.
“Everyone agrees that (the Skywalk) would be a great asset for the Tamworth region to have,” he said.
“But I think a lot of people are rightfully saying I don’t want to see my rates rise exponentially to make that happen.”
“There’s a lot of talk about a new Aquatics Centre, but people are saying ‘Well, hold up, we don’t want to see this existing pool closed.’”
Mr Brooke stressed that these are examples of projects he’d ultimately like to see get up, but that now was not the time to be discussing them.
Feds, State, to blame for local council failures
Dr Cohn, speaking of her role in the inquiry into financial stability of Local Government, put some of the blame on the other two tiers of government.
As part of the Inquiry into local council financial stability, Dr Cohn has visited several regional centres, including Tamworth, and was keen to come back and meet with the candidates, having convened a small, but passionate, group of Greens supporters at the Tamworth hotel the night before.
“State and Federal Governments are setting local councils up to fail,” Dr Cohn said.
“Rural and regional councils particularly are facing difficult financial circumstances.”
“We’ve seen massive cost-shifting on to local governments – the State keeps giving more and more responsibility to them without actually giving them funding.”
“Rural councils have responsibilities like water and sewer maintenance that Sydney councils don’t have, so it is quite a unique situation, when it comes to a special rate variation.”
Cohn suggested developer contributions, especially in growing areas, are something that could be investigated for more funding, as could using the improved value of land for more equitable rates, rather than the unimproved value – as well as looking at exemptions.
Not hiding as independents
“I was the first Green elected to Albury City Council in 2016”, Dr Cohn said, standing next to candidates Gemma-Lea Tolmie and Ryan Brooke.
“I think there is a proportion of the Tamworth community who are keen to see something new and fresh, and I’m really excited to support these fantastic young candidates.”
Mr Brooke is optimistic about their chances at council, and has received some positive encouragement so far.
“We think we have the votes to get to Council,” Mr Brooke said.
“We’re being ambitious, we’re going for two.”
“The feedback that we’re getting is that people want young faces, they want to see a fresh, new perspective.”
Running on a party ticket is not something that has been traditionally done in the Tamworth LGA, but Brooke pointed out that Tamworth has always had party politicians but that he wouldn’t be “hiding in the Independent column”.
It was an “open secret”, Mr Brooke said, that councillors affiliated with the National Party run as independents.
“Council has always had a lot of party figures,” he said.
“Historically, there’s been a lot of National Party figures.”
“(Gemma and I) are obviously members of the Greens Party – that’s where our values lie.”
“We’re running as locals under that banner. Last year, I contested the State election as Green, so I think it would be pretty disingenuous for me to then turn around and then run as an Independent.”
Cohn, when asked if this interest in Tamworth reflected a wider push by the Greens into the bush, said there was “a real mood for change.”
“The Greens are absolutely growing in Regional Australia.
“We won the seat of Ballina off the Nats and anything could be next.”
Top image: Greens MP Amanda Cohn (L) speaks with Greens candidates for Tamworth Regional Council Gemma-Lea Tolmie and Ryan Brooke (R) in Tamworth. (Tom Plevey)
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