Orange’s decision to pull out of the Evocities regional relocation scheme has another city questioning its involvement.
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Tamworth’s ratepayers association has called on its council to leave, claiming that Orange was still reaping rewards of being an Evocity even though it had stopped paying to belong.
“If that’s an option, why don’t we do it,” Tamworth Regional Ratepayers and Ratepayers Association vice-president David McKinnon told The Northern Daily Leader.
Orange, Albury, Armidale, Bathurst, Dubbo, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga have each paid about $65,000 a year to belong to the group which promotes them as destinations for people to relocate from capital cities.
Orange City Council decided last year it was not getting full benefit from its contribution and pulled out.
Mr McKinnon questioned how much influence marketing had in people deciding to move.
“We are talking about spending a very large sum of money on what would be a very natural movement.
“You could attribute more of the growth to increasing house prices in major cities than to some vague campaign.”
Orange city councillor Jeff Whitton said the council believed its contribution could be better spent.
“I felt that we had gone as far as we could with that type of program and that we weren’t seeing the benefits,” he said.
“I don’t think we’ve lost anything by not being in it.”
Cr Whitton said having relatives in the area, getting a new job and attractive lifestyles were the key reasons in people relocating.
He said it was up to Tamworth’s council to decide whether to continue in the Evocities program.
Evocities chair and Albury mayor Kevin Mack said Orange was missing out on marketing, public relations, job promotion and other support by not being in Evocities.
Cr Mack said Orange would be removed totally from the Evocities website if it did not renew its financial membership – which he expected would be sorted out by May.
He said he was meeting with Deputy Premier John Barilaro on Thursday to encourage state government funding for Evocities.
Cr Mack said Evocities had been successful in attracting people to move to regional areas, including Orange.
“Orange dropping out is the last thing we want to see,” Cr Mack said.
David Fitzsimons
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
