I am compelled to voice my deep reservations regarding the actions of our Tamworth Regional Council and, to a lesser extent, your own newspaper.

The council appears to have entered a phase of regarding ratepayers as mushrooms, evidenced by several recent decisions.

The Locks Ln closure was supposedly for safety reasons, but could it have been to facilitate a smooth sale of the Crown land for the proposed Masters complex?

Prince of Wales Park was sold to the first and, it would appear, the only buyer available. 

Please tell us why it was not put to tender, as it is my understanding that it should have been?

As for the Dungowan Dam flooding, when will the council inform the residents below the Nundle Rd intersection that, in the unlikely event of this mythical one in 10 million flood, they will suffer inundation deeper than any previous recorded level, or is this because, having passed this intersection, the then metre high crest will dissipate, being no longer the responsibility of TRC?

Further, what rational person can rely on a computer projection of 500mm of rain in two hours in the Dungowan Valley and almost none in Mulla Creek or Duncan’s Creek?

One could be forgiven for speculating that the whole thing is a furphy to reduce property values in the valley for some other-as-yet-undefined reason.

I believe The NDL has allowed free passage to council of these issues, perhaps with more bias to council’s view than is justifiable, although the park did receive a more balanced report.

I would encourage my fellow ratepayers and this newspaper to vigorously test all council decisions, lest we succumb to those who have the “big picture” in mind, to the detriment of those of us who trust them.