Moree Plains Shire Council will transition Tourism Moree into council operations following a resolution at its ordinary meeting on 18 June.
Council has approved six months of interim funding for Tourism Moree while further work is undertaken to support the transition through a collaborative process.
“Tourism Moree currently operates as a separate entity to Moree Plains Shire Council, wholly funded by council, with over $4.2m provided over the past eight years at a current rate of around $570,000 per annum,” Acting General Manager Ian Stoneman said.
Tourism Moree has operated under successive four-year funding agreements. With the current 2022–26 agreement ending, council said it had reviewed the most effective way to deliver tourism and visitor economy services for the benefit of the shire and its ratepayers.
In addition to direct funding, council owns and maintains the Visitor Information Centre building and meets the costs of insurance, rates, water, security and information technology support.
“At the June Council meeting, councillors were provided with a recommendation from the General Manager to bring tourism services back under council to reduce duplication, increase focus on strategic delivery, accountability and performance, and achieve greater value for ratepayer money.”
Council said the resolution followed extensive debate, with councillors considering several options before agreeing to continue Tourism Moree’s operations for six months while planning for the transition continues.
“This isn’t about stopping tourism services, or closing down our Visitor Information Centre,” Mayor Susannah Pearse said.
“We are intent on not only continuing services, but also transitioning savings into greater advertising and promotion of our shire, its towns and villages, and our diverse visitor offer.
“We understand that Tourism Moree and its team strive hard to provide a welcoming experience for visitors to our town.
“But as a council we need to ensure that all of our decisions are sense-checked against what our council and community can afford, what our ratepayers want in terms of council priorities, and what other councils do in this space.
“We know that Moree Plains has been spending more on tourism than neighbouring shires through the current external delivery model.
“At the same time, it is getting harder for councils to balance their books with many other shires having put rates up anywhere from 30 to over 50 per cent in recent years, including across Inverell, Tamworth, Gunnedah, Liverpool Plains, Glen Innes and Armidale.
“As a council we have two choices – either we maintain the status quo and push costs onto ratepayers through a rate rise, or, we take a discerning approach in terms of the money we spend and find savings where we can.
“We have heard loud and clear that our ratepayers already think our rates are too high and hence our council has taken the latter approach.
“This decision has not been made lightly. It has been made with the best interests of our shire at heart.”
Pearse said council’s priority was ensuring there was no disruption to tourism services or funding during the transition, saying “the adopted resolution recognised the need for further collaboration and additional information, reflecting Council’s desire to see the transition done right”.
A report outlining the proposed transition will be presented to council at its ordinary meeting on 17 September 2026.
Council said promoting Moree Plains Shire remained a key priority, supporting visitor attraction, local businesses, community organisations and major events across the region.
In addition to tourism services, council continues to invest through its Tourism and Economic Development (TED) Fund, which supports tourism initiatives, festivals, events and economic development projects throughout the shire.
The TED Fund is financed through a Special Rate Variation approved under section 508(2) of the Local Government Act 1993 during the 2005–06 financial year.
Projects funded through the TED Fund in 2026–27 include:
- $250,000 for Moree aquatic centre capital works, reducing the need for new borrowings.
- $107,750 for the Events Partnership Fund to support local events.
- $20,000 for the Small Business Fund to help businesses trial new initiatives or expand operations.
- $50,000 to review council’s Economic Development Strategy and implement its actions.
- $50,000 to develop and implement a Communications Strategy to improve council communications and perceptions of the shire.
Council said any TED Fund revenue not spent within the financial year is transferred to a reserve and may only be allocated by a council resolution. The current balance available for allocation is $360,000 and will be considered at a future council meeting.
Further information about council’s community financial assistance programs, including the Events Partnership Program and Small Business Fund, is available at: https://www.mpsc.nsw.gov.au/helping-you-access-information/donations-by-council
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