Gunnedah Shire Council mayor Jamie Chaffey advocates for 24/7 policing, hospital redevelopment ahead of 2023 state election

No candidates have yet confirmed their run for office in March but Gunnedah mayor Jamie Chaffey has laid bare his demands for the incoming Tamworth MP.

In a submission to his fellow councillors, the shire's mayor set out the community's top five priorities when it comes to seeking commitments from candidates in the parliamentary race.

Calls to implement 24/7 opening hours at the police station have grown after Cr Chaffey said the town had seen increased break-ins and car thefts.

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Cr Chaffey said it wasn't a new demand but it has fallen on deaf ears.

"Council have constantly been met with feedback stating that the data or statistics don't support such a service," he said.

"Council are again reaffirming our calls."

Cr Colleen Fuller said she'd like to see a "firm commitment" as the problem has gone on for more than a decade.

"We've been promised and promised the increasing of policing, we get them to town, and then they leave," she said.

Cr Chaffey and Tamworth mayor Russell Webb have been working hand-in-hand when it comes to crime rates, with Cr Webb also listing the issue among his priorities for the new year.

Meanwhile the 2019 election commitment of a shiny new $53 million hospital in Gunnedah is yet to break ground.

With uncertainty about who who will be in government soon, council is calling for all potential candidates to commit to the redevelopment in its current form.

"While I acknowledge there's been lots of work and consultation, consultation after we've screamed for it to happen, there's not been any construction," Cr Chaffey said.

"The concern is if there's a change of government it might not happen because it hasn't started in this term."

Council resolved to call for construction to start in early 2023.

Roads are also on the list after more than a dozen major floods just last year left the road network in a dire condition, and council has called on the state and federal governments to step up and do more.

A half-a-billion dollar road repair package was announced by NSW premier Dom Perrottet on Tuesday as the state government tries to beef up the funding on offer to councils to patch up regional and city roads.

The establishment of a 'Fixing Country Pinch Points Program' has been proposed by council in partnership with the Country Mayors Association of NSW, which Cr Chaffey is the chair of, to provide a "non-contestable" funding stream.

"We need the state and federal governments to step up and help out more," Cr Chaffey said.

"Such a program would enable a targeted approach for swift action and a reduction in repeated restoration funding being required following future disaster."

Incentives to encourage the construction of affordable housing will also be a key commitment, with the town facing a "critical shortage" of housing and affordable accommodation.

A four-year funding program to regional, remote and rural councils to encourage the construction of new housing estates has been put forward by council as a viable way forward.

Funding for the local TAFE and registered training organisations to deliver courses specific to the needs of the Gunnedah business community has also been flagged as a priority.

The state election will be held on March 25.

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