Council operations to be affected by COVID-19 measures

Here is a list of impacts the COVID-19 measures have had on Tamworth Regional Council-related activities and operations today:

POWERSTATION MUSEUM

Tamworth Powerstation Museum will be closed from Wednesday for the forseeable future to minimise any possible risks to its mostly elderly volunteers.

Tamworth Regional Council director gallery and museums, Bridget Guthrie, said the volunteers are passionate about their work at the museum but felt they had no alternative but to step away from their roles temporarily as part of the community-wide measures needed to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Volunteer Ron Greer said it was not a decision taken lightly.

"We are all disappointed that this has had to happen," he said.

"A large number of the people who visit the museum are elderly and many of the volunteers are elderly. Some of our volunteers have health issues which are well managed but it makes them more vulnerable - we have to act in the best interests of everyone's health."

In the coming weeks there were 12 bookings for museum tours including school groups and some visitors from South Australia.

Mr Greer spent this morning contacting them all to advise them of the museum closure. Mr Greer said some of the volunteers will continue to work behind closed doors in groups of three or four at a time. He said there are cataloguing tasks and work to be done to maintain and update displays.

HARMONY DAY

The Harmony Day events planned for March 21, at the Tamworth City Library and Tamworth Regional Gallery have been cancelled. 'You are a Living Book' was an event at the library aiming to bring the community together to share and listen to stories of belonging and acceptance. At the gallery, 'Elsewhere' exhibition curator Dr Sam Bowker was to give a guided tour after the 'You are a Living Book' event.

GALLERY AND LIBRARY

Tamworth Regional Gallery and Tamworth City Library have reduced their public programs with no large scale events going ahead. Small events including Storytime and Innovation Studio classes are going ahead at this stage. Both the gallery and libraries are open for their usual hours. The library's home library service is continuing to operate.

CITIZENSHIP CEREMONY

The Tamworth Regional Council citizenship ceremony scheduled for Thursday this week has been cancelled.

A group of 61 local residents are ready to become Australian citizens. They were born in the Philippines, India, United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, Iran, Egypt, Morocco, Malta, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Taiwan and Ireland. Candidates will now be part of the next ceremony which is currently scheduled for 21 May, 2020. In circumstances of urgency, the Mayor will provide one-on-one ''ceremonies''.

SECTION 355 COMMITTEES

Council's Section 355 Committees have suspended their meetings and events until 14 June 2020 in line with the NSW Minister for Health's Public Health (COVID-19 Public Events) Order 2020.

Any halls managed by Section 355 Committees remain available for hire and use with individual hirers or event organisers to carry out the usual required risk assessment.

GORE EXCHANGE

The annual Gore Student Exchange for Anzac Day has been cancelled for 2020. Local student Bailey Wolrige was to visit the Tamworth region's sister city in New Zealand and take part in its Anzac Day commemorations. A Gore ambassador was to have visited Tamworth.

HALL OF FAME

The Australian Country Music Foundation has decide to close the doors of the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame due to health risks posed to its volunteers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It will be closed for the foreseeable future.