From the Council Chambers - April 2026
Published on 23 April 2026
The April Council meeting saw a continued investment in our local community including advocating for an increase in local infrastructure and services funding as well as water security, paving the way for doctors’ housing in Boggabri and promoting the unique identities of our towns/villages.
Welcome to Cr Strahle
At the beginning of the meeting, Mayor Tiemens welcomed Narrabri Shire’s newest Councillor Mark Strahle, who was officially sworn in and begun his tenure as a Narrabri Shire Councillor.
Council joins campaign to Invest in Us
In a Mayoral Minute, the Mayor highlighted the Country Mayors Association of NSW Invest in Us campaign, which advocates for increased Commonwealth Financial Assistance Grants to local councils across Australia.
The campaign’s core message is “Invest in us so we can invest in them” and seeks to restore at least 1% of total Commonwealth taxation revenue for local governments.
The past several years has seen councils hit by unprecedented operational cost increases while successive Australian Governments rolled back Financial Assistant Grants to close to half of the original 1%.
“Local councils across Australia are responsible for about 70% of the roads, responsible for so many of those services that are absolutely essential to families, businesses and the wellbeing of communities,” Mayor Tiemens said.
“Many councils across regional New South Wales, rural New South Wales and remote New South Wales are really struggling at the moment, with fuel costs going through the roof and a number of other matters.
“The core campaign message is around Invest in us so we can invest in them, and it’s a well-constructed campaign, and it’s very positive. It’s all about investing in these communities out here.”
Cr Towns and Cr Whillas echoed their support for the campaign, with Cr Whillas highlighting the amount of GDP and money from local councils going to State and Federal governments, as well as the amount of responsibility placed on councils.
Cr Jansson also provided her full support for the motion, stating, “Our Shire does a huge amount of heavy lifting for the state of New South Wales and indeed Australia – thus, the incredible GDP that we have.
“In order to continue to produce, we need quality roads, we need to have communities where people want to live and work, we need to have first-class services. We’re doing the best that we can, given our very limited means, like other rural councils.
“There’s no way that we can continue to deliver to the level that we do unless we get more support, better support, to maintain our infrastructure that enables companies to come here and do business.”
The Mayor will write to the Prime Minister, Treasurer, Federal Minister for Local Government, the Shadow Minister for Local Government along with the Local Member of Parliament and Senator urging their commitment to the proposed funding increase.
Visitor Experience Summit success
In discussing his Mayoral Appointments, Mayor Tiemens highlighted the success of the Destination Country and Outback NSW Visitor Experience Summit held in Narrabri last month.
During the summit, Mayor Tiemens and General Manager Eloise Chaplain took the opportunity to provide Destination NSW CEO Karen Jones with a tour of the Shire.
The General Manager noted that Ms Jones was extremely impressed by the Shire’s visitor experiences on offer, including Sawn Rocks.
The General Manager also took the opportunity to inform Councillors about the Narrabri Region’s latest tourism campaign, currently showing on television networks across the area and through to the coast, as well as Spotify advertisements.
Triple-R Water Security Alliance
Mayor Tiemens provided an update regarding the Triple-R Water Security Alliance, which involves seven councils: Narrabri Shire, Liverpool Plains, Gunnedah, Walgett, Brewarrina, Bourke and Central Darling shires.
The alliance remains concerned regarding changes to management of water, including a proposed 20 gigalitres of water for Tamworth.
“We’re really going to put a lot of heat on both the MPs and also the Minister and others and use every channel we have for our seven councils to be able to express our deep, deep concern about taking water from this side of the state,” Mayor Tiemens said.
“Our residents also need the water.”
The alliance has been in discussions with Aboriginal Land Councils, which are fully onboard, as well as irrigators’ groups and horticulturalists.
Praise for NarraBRIGHT 2026
Cr Towns thanked the team who worked on NarraBRIGHT, including those who worked behind the scenes on the event.
“To see all of the people come to NarraBRIGHT, I want to say a big thank you. It was truly amazing to see Council put on something so impressive,” he said.
Mayor Tiemens agreed, thanking staff for their hard work, including Council’s Small Business Liaison Officer Gillian Goddard.
“There was a lot of staff involved, and you could tell they were very proud that night. It was just spectacular.”
Cr Jansson made particular mention of Council’s Small Business Liaison Officer for spearheading the sixth NarraBRIGHT event.
“[Ms Goddard] just did such a spectacular job, together with the rest of the staff. And to see so many thousands of people enjoying it, and such great community spirit – [Ms Goddard] was key to making that happen.”
Community-led signage on public exhibition
A fresh new look is on the horizon for towns and villages across the Shire with proposed designs for new signage to be placed on public exhibition.
The new signage celebrates the unique identity and character of our communities across the Shire. They were created in conjunction with communities, including meetings in each area throughout 2024 and 2025, where residents voted for their preferred signage design.
The General Manager explained Council wanted to hear from the community regarding any changes to the signs’ image, including if it represents their town.
Feedback will then be collated and changes put to the designer for finalisation of the signs prior to construction.
May 2026 Ordinary Council Meeting – date change
Council approved the recommendation to move the May Ordinary Council Meeting to 12 May 2026 (from 20 May 2026).
The meeting will include consideration to endorse the 2026/2027 Operational Plan and Budget for public exhibition. This will ensure sufficient time for any public submissions to the documents, which must be adopted by 30 June 2026.
Historically, Council has held an Extraordinary Council Meeting in May for Councillors’ consideration to place the Operational Plan and Budget on public exhibition. The change of date avoids the need to have two Council meetings in May, saving costs.
Public art in the spotlight
Work being carried out in the Shire’s public art space was highlighted during discussion of the Public Art Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes.
Director Corporate and Community Services Mark Watt explained that following an Expression of Interest process, two new community members have joined the advisory committee – Deiann Kennedy and Les Knox.
Cr Jansson emphasised the strong direction of the Public Art Advisory Committee.
“We are making really strong headway. We’ve got funding for two more pieces of public sculpture that will follow the fantastic eagle that’s already been erected outside of the Tourist Information Centre with a goanna shortly to go underneath it.
“So, we’re very excited about next stages and identifying a clear plan for that sculpture walk.”
Public art in the Shire is generally funded via donations or private not-for-profit bodies, rather than through Council.
Concerns raised around illegal drug use within Narrabri Shire
The Minutes from the Crime Prevention Committee generated discussion among Councillors regarding the issue of illegal drug use in the Shire.
Cr Erathnage, who is a local doctor, highlighted concerns about the ongoing problem of drug use, particularly among younger generations.
“I have seen many people affected by drugs. I know the drug problem is quite common in Australia … but compared to other towns [Narrabri] was quite good. But at this stage, I think Narrabri has caught up and [is now] a hotspot.
“I’m facing these people every day.
“We don’t have much crime in Narrabri compared to other towns, but the drug problem is quite dangerous.”
Cr Whillas agreed with Cr Erathnage regarding the illegal drug issue within the Shire. The Councillor flagged that the Police and Community Youth Club (PCYC) program is to conclude at the end of this financial year, with no further planned funding due to reduction of crime statistics in the area.
“To me that seems counterproductive. It’s a … program that’s clearly proven to reduce youth crime,” Cr Whillas said.
“So, it’s something that really, we should be trying to continue … instead of letting the crime build back up, getting a problem again and then trying to bring in a solution once again. It’s an endless wheel.”
As well as confirming the minutes of the Crime Prevention Advisory Committee Meeting, Councillors resolved that the Mayor and General Manager advocate for continued funding for the Police and Community Youth Club (PCYC) in Wee Waa.
Doctors’ housing for Boggabri
Councillors endorsed Boggabri Coal Operations’ request to move two of their 20 required houses in Narrabri to Boggabri for the construction of two single-storey dwellings for doctors’ housing in the town.
Director Development and Compliance Kate Alberry explained to Councillors that there is still a need for doctors’ housing in Boggabri.
Cr Whillas, in speaking for the motion, identified that the need for doctors’ housing in Boggabri had been noted on Council’s Resolution Register since 2021, and emphasised the positive outcome for the Boggabri community with the construction of this housing.
Monthly finance report shows positive progression
In discussing the Monthly Finance Report, the Director Corporate and Community Services highlighted that Council is progressing reasonably well for the year. Mr Watt noted that at this time of the year there is a lot of revenue received whereas expenses are not necessarily coming through as expected.
The Director outlined that the budgeted expenditure target for the current period is around 75% and is currently running at about 63%.
“We’re a little bit under at where we should be for this time of year, but conversely, we have a reduced amount of expenditure at this point in time in terms of employee expenses, materials and services … but all in all, we’re tracking well,” Mr Watt said.
The General Manager also provided information in response to a query from the Mayor regarding current fuel prices, particularly diesel, and what Council is doing to rein in costs around the issue.
“Like everybody across the nation and in parts of the world, Council is looking at our costs and looking at how we are running,” Mrs Chaplain said.
“We cannot spend more than what [Council] has approved.”
In discussing fuel usage, the General Manager noted that Council requires a significant amount of fuel for operational purposes. For example, Council’s grader fleet alone uses about 5,000 litres per week.
The General Manager further highlighted that the rising cost of fuel has been accounted for in Council’s new Operational Plan and in current preparations for next year’s budget.
Additionally, Council is working on a Business Continuity Plan in terms of fuel, which is aligned with the Federal Government’s National Fuel Security Plan.
Gwabegar Flood Study – public exhibition
Councillors approved the Draft Gwabegar Flood Study for public exhibition for a period of 28 days.
Prepared by independent consultants, the study is grounded in local knowledge and tailored to the unique needs of the Shire.
The public exhibition of the study will ensure the community have the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process related to flood risk management in the Gwabegar area.
Cr Dickinson encouraged the community to read the study, emphasising that if residents had any questions or wanted more information to please ask Council.
The General Manager emphasised that the draft Gwabegar Flood Study will be part of Council’s Community Conversations engagement sessions, which will be taking place throughout the Shire during April and May.
Murray-Darling Basin discussion highlights complex issue
Council endorsed Council’s submission to the 2026 Murray-Darling Basin Plan Authority for the Basin Plan Review.
The Director Development and Compliance noted that the Murray-Darling Basin is a complex system and a complex issue, as well as a lot of information.
“It’s very important that Narrabri [Shire] has a voice in this. The top of the Murray-Darling Basin is very complex and there’s a lot of pressure on all users in Narrabri to make sure their voice is heard,” Ms Alberry said.
Mayor Tiemens discussed the devastating impact of water buybacks on many towns across Eastern Australia and emphasised the importance of the Plan.
“This Murray-Darling Basin Plan is critical for our welfare and the people right up and down our river systems,” he said.
Application to be submitted for proposed new Saleyards bore
In presenting the Water PFAS Update for April, Director Infrastructure Delivery Warren Faulkner briefed Councillors regarding the proposed new bore at the Saleyards.
The final report for flow testing concluded the Saleyards bore is a production bore, free of PFAS contamination. The new bore will provide Narrabri with 63 litres per second of water.
The report and an application will be provided to the Department of Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) to vary Council’s water license for inclusion of the bore for water extraction.
Mr Faulkner also provided an update regarding the portable water treatment plant, noting that Council has shortlisted pre-selected tenders for the project. An internal Tender Committee meeting is scheduled to endorse the project to go out to tender.
Cr Whillas raised a question regarding the results of private bore PFAS testing that took place in November 2025.
Mr Faulkner explained that the EPA only provided data online, however, Council was not given any further insight into the data.
(Further information regarding the Private Bore Screening Program and results are available from the NSW EPA website.)
Mayor Tiemens reminded community members who are struggling with watering times under the current restrictions (for example, older residents), they can apply to Council for a Water Restriction Exemption.
Processing times and flood claim approvals
Council received the Monthly Flood Damage Status Report, with the Director Infrastructure Delivery explaining that the Reconstruction Authority continues to experience a backlog of claim approvals, combined with limited resources affecting processing times.
Mr Faulkner outlined that Narrabri Shire had a meeting with the Reconstruction Authority regarding flood claim approvals. The Director said that due to the Authority’s backlog of claim approvals, it was likely assessment and finalisation of all of Council’s flood claims will be a six-month process.
Cr Dickinson thanked the Mayor for writing to the NSW Minister for Recovery the Hon. Janelle Saffin MP, seeking assistance with outstanding flood funding from events in previous years.
Cr Dickinson also noted that it was disappointing to see that the funding received was less than half of the amount Council requested.
Progression for Narrabri Place Strategy
In a Confidential Report, Councillors endorsed the progression of the Narrabri Place Strategy Stage 1 Residential Precinct by Council and supported the application for grant funding as it becomes available.
In Summary
Advocating for critical investment in local services and infrastructure, along with greater water security for our Shire and region.
Investment in local water infrastructure is progressing.
Continued support for new housing in our Shire.
Financial position tracking well.
New signage and public art celebrating the unique identities of our Shire.
The health and wellbeing of our community remain a priority.