Tamworth City Centre Working Group aims to find happy medium between growth and integrity in city centre

With developers looking to expand upwards with multi-storey apartments and office spaces, local real estate agent Gavin Knee said it's important all sectors of the community work together.

As the newest member of the Tamworth City Centre Working Group, Mr Knee will be representing the commercial property sector, and told the Leader cooperation is key.

"Improving the CBD is about taking the office, retail and accommodation sectors and getting them to work together," he said.

"We can't have them fighting against each other, and I think it's a combination of strengthening all three of those asset classes that will really grow the CBD."

Mr Knee said there is plenty of scope for the city to boom upwards, and the interest is certainly there.

"We are on a river, so we can't go out. We've got to go up and utilise what's here," he said.

"But we've got to make sure that it's done sustainably.

"The core CBD of any regional city is so important, we've got to keep the integrity of that and offer growth at the same time."

READ ALSO:

The city centre needs to reinforce that Tamworth is a regional community, according to former councillor Juanita Wilson, who has joined the group as a community representative.

"Our CBD won't benefit by emulating metropolitan CBDs," she said.

"People live here because that's the ethos that we feel. But it's also important to the tourism market, which is expanding.

"If we want to encourage tourism, we don't want to look like Parramatta."

Despite this, she said high rise development is inevitable, but the city's regional backdrop "needs to be maintained".

"Developing upwards is important, but we need to maintain the regional ethos and vibe so that when you're driving across bridges, you can still see the hills," she said.

"That makes a statement that we're a regional, rural community, and we've got a vibrant CBD.

"The CBD needs to be efficient for business, accessible, and a user-friendly destination with appropriate parking."

The working group has been expanded and will also include local surveyor Campion Bourke, community representative Nicholas Taylor, and representatives from council.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: