I was for a while even more confused, but I have come to the conclusion that, as with any council, it is as much about what they do not say as what they do say, especially when under the spotlight.

In their latest mutterings, they say “a new plan will be developed over the coming weeks in consultation with the business community, NSW Police and the Roads and Maritime Service”.

That timeframe will take us well into October. 

It beggars belief that a key issue such as this is even on the table at this stage of the game, let alone still in the development stage and even more so after 40-plus years of this event being staged.

The report went on to say the NSW Police “demanded action after raising concerns over the wellbeing of pedestrians during the festival, particularly as they travelled between Peel St and Bicentennial Park”. 

What that has to do with the opening or closure of Peel St west of Bridge St I have no idea. 

Clearly, if Bridge St was open to traffic and Peel St west of Bridge St was closed, this would be a major pedestrian safety issue.

Mayor Col Murray is suggesting there is, or could possibly be, a major safety issue to the detriment of the festival and Tamworth if they don’t act. Bah humbug!

To my knowledge, there has never been a vehicle- or pedestrian-related issue or incident worthy of being reported in the history of this event, so that begs the question – what is this all really about?

If I had to guess I would say that the depleted numbers of buskers and entertainers over the past couple of years has meant that Peel St west of Bridge St has become a bit of a dead zone, where the remaining buskers don’t want to go because there are no people and the people don’t bother to go because there is virtually no entertainment.

So council’s idea to fix this issue is to open Peel St west of Bridge St, open Bridge St to traffic and kill a number of birds with one stone. 

Now this may or may not be an idea worthy of some discussion if it was, say, February.

That’s a bureaucracy hard at work, you see, and unfortunately they do it behind closed doors at the 11th hour and without consulting us, who pay them – unless caught out.

And then they revert to the tried and proven two-pronged approach of blame someone else and then go into consultation mode. 

Proof positive yet again that this bureaucracy does not have an event masterplan and is making key decisions on the run.

Either way, we, the Tamworth ratepaying mushrooms, remain in the dark and get fed ... well, you know the saying!

Bruce Read

Tamworth