A CHALLENGING year lies ahead for Tamworth Regional Council with water security tipped to dominate the agenda.
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The council enters the new decade in a critical position with level 5 water restrictions and the region's major water supplies depleting.
Chaffey Dam is below 14 per cent capacity and Split Rock Dam is holding less than one per cent.
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Change will certainly be afoot in 2020 as well with the council's long-term mayor, Col Murray, confirming again he won't be contesting this year's local government election.
Speaking to a number of councillors ahead of the year's end, water security was top of the agenda across the board going into the final year of term.
Conserving remaining water while becoming more efficient and innovative for the future was a recurring theme.
Juanita Wilson's focus was "managing water security so businesses weren't put under pressure".
"As a council we need to work hard so businesses don't have to restrict or reduce employment," she said.
She said it was also important to "keep pressure" on other levels of government to alter water sharing plans and follow-through on the Dungowan Dan funding commitment.
Charles Impey echoed the call for dam progress.
But he said the region needed to rethink its stance on recycled and grey-water reuse.
"I think we could see that reflected in planning for future residential developments," he said.
"I think the old days of pumping large amounts of drinking water onto our lawns needs to be rethought."
A number of councillors were keen to show the region could walk and chew gum forging ahead with "big ticket" projects such as the aquatic centre and performing arts arts precinct.
The mayor said previously it would be "irresponsible" if the council didn't continue to pursue these projects while managing the drought.
However, Cr Murray said water supplies would loom large on the 2020 agenda.
He said a lot would be learnt this year about how inefficient it is transporting water via the Peel and its effects on groundwater supplies.
Water has been a key issue for Mark Rodda in recent months, but he wanted council to keep focused on delivering its key services as well.
"Roads, rubbish, kerbs, gutters, footpaths and trees: we don't want to lose sight with what the role of council is," he said.
"Big ticket items can enhance the livability, but we still have other things to do."