At last Thursday’s council meeting, councillors resolved to become an associate partner and allocate $2,000 from the Memberships and Subscriptions budget to support NIAS athletes.

The partnership comes following a request from NIAS CEO James Cooper.

“Given the strong athletics culture that exists within the Moree Plains community, it makes perfect sense that the NIAS Athletic squad and Moree Plains Shire Council form a strong relationship that will see great growth into the future,” Mr Cooper said in the written request.

“Over the past five years, over 42 of NIAS’s athletes have come from the Moree Plains region and we look forward to welcoming many more over the coming years.”

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Councillor Kerry Cassells was all for the partnership, and said it was a way for council to demonstrate that it is passionate about promoting the sporting achievements and opportunities for young people in the shire.

“For us to be in a partnership says we are all about furthering our young athletes,” she said.

“Sometimes they don’t get many other opportunities out here, so what NIAS does is fantastic.”

Mayor Katrina Humphries seconded the motion.

“These are our kids and sport is the backbone of our community,” Cr Humphries said.

“If we’ve got $2,000 in memberships and subscriptions budget, I can’t think of a better way to spend $2,000.”

The partnership with NIAS will not only demonstrate council’s support for the talented young athletes, but it will also generate positive branding across the 290,000 population of Northern NSW; provide outstanding promotional and advertising opportunities, in particular targeted to young, motivated and talented athletes; and enable access to the Academy’s stakeholder network and the region’s sports participation base.