By STEVE GRAY
OPPONENTS of Tenterfield Shire Council’s proposed rates hikes have regrouped and held out a conciliatory hand to sitting councillors.
Formerly the Tenterfield Rates and Anti-amalgamation Forum (TRAAF), the group is now known as the Tenterfield Progress Association (TPA) and they have applied to NSW Fair Trading to convert the association to an incorporated body.
Founding members, president Robert Walker, vice-president Richard Holland and secretary/treasurer Ian Bardon are requesting “maturity” after the sometimes bitter debate over council’s campaign to seek a Special Rates Variation (SRV).
Mr Walker wrote to all councillors, offering what he described as “an olive branch” after the sometime acrimonious rates debate.
“I thought perhaps you would agree that this may be a good time to start a more conciliatory and professional relationship and put the past behind us,” Mr Walker said..
“We are here for the long term and have the prosperity and development of the shire at heart, just like you do.”
Mr Walker goes on to request details of how each councillor voted on the rates issue.
“The difficulty we are having in getting the confirmed voting of individual councillor votes on the SRV is a matter of deep concern and divide,” he said.
“These are the matters we need to repair. The facts are that the community is entitled to know how their councillor votes – how else can we determine if he/she is worth our vote for a second term or not?”
In a note to supporters, the TPA says its application to become an incorporated body “gives us far more prestige and far better access to council and local government data, records and personnel.”
As TRAAF the group said that if the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal approved council’s application in full, rates will increase by over 80 per cent in the next decade.
The TPA expects a decision on its application for incorporation with a week or so.
