Abandon ship! Council votes never to return to Ray Walsh House

The future of Ray Walsh House, officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1977, is now in doubt as Tamworth Regional Council (TRC) considers "options to dispose of, or re-purpose" the building.

"We cannot afford to remediate Ray Walsh house. We do not have the money and I do not see us having the money for a long, long time," Tamworth mayor Russell Webb said at the council meeting on Tuesday, May 28.

TRC general manager Paul Bennett told the Leader last week two local developers have expressed interest in purchasing Ray Walsh House, though no offers have been made so far.

The decision followed a contentious debate, with three councillors strongly opposed.

Councillor Mark Rodda moved to defer a decision on the remediation of Ray Walsh House until after an "extensive community consultation" is conducted.

"Many residents value this building due to it's rare brutalist design and feel council does not have a mandate from the people to make such a major decision," Cr Rodda said.

"After two years, why the rush? We should consult with the people who own it [the public]."

After Cr Rodda's amendment was defeated, Cr Brooke Southwell also moved a similar amendment.

"I struggle to see how selling an asset without a clear plan in place on where to accommodate our staff is a good idea," Cr Southwell said.

One member of the community also spoke in defence of Ray Walsh House.

"The ratepayers' association calls on council to do their duty and reject abandoning the remediation of Ray Walsh House," member of the Tamworth Regional Residents and Ratepayers Association Stephen Maher said before the meeting started.

Mr Maher criticised the local government for what he described as a lack of transparency in its decision-making with regard to the building.

"Additionally we admonish the council for letting Ray Walsh House get to its current state," he said.

But these arguments did not sway the majority of councillors, and Cr Rodda, Cr Southwell, and Cr Steve Mears were ultimately the only three to vote against the decision.

Hundreds of staff were forced to vacate the building in 2022, and TRC will now investigate options to find cheaper, more centralised office space to rent for the "medium term" of up to 10 years.

The council currently spends about half a million dollars each year to rent temporary office space from six different buildings in the CBD.