Tamworth council grants fee waiver to Tamworth NAIDOC Debutante Committee

The second annual event will be held on July 8, 2023, at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre (TRECC) after council gave it the nod.

A report prepared for council by the NAIDOC Debutante Ball committee said 38 young Aboriginal men and women are expected to take part in the event, with hundreds more community members attending.

"To ensure participants are afforded the opportunity to celebrate this momentous occasion in front of their family, friends, and the wider Aboriginal community, the committee needs a venue that caters for over 600 people," the report said.

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The report was considered in closed council at its latest meeting, with councillor Marc Sutherland excluding himself because of a conflict of interest due to his connection to the committee.

Council decided to grant the committee's fee waiver request "given the importance of NAIDOC week for the local Aboriginal community, and the social benefits associated with this event".

The fee waiver covers the cost of venue hire for the TRECC and associated audio-visual production fees.

"Council resolved to subsidise the event and I think it's a great outcome for our wider community," Mayor Russell Webb said.

Cr Webb refused to answer questions about the size of the subsidy or the determinations made in closed council, citing "commercial-in-confidence".

The ball is part of NAIDOC week's celebrations and is designed to boost confidence and leadership skills among Aboriginal young people by putting a cultural spin on traditional debuts.

Last year's inaugural event in the town hall exceeded expectations, and this year the ball is expected to be even bigger, leading the organising committee to request the use of TRECC.

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