Post the release of the final 2015 CMF traffic plan this past weekend, I am now convinced that it must be me. I must be the one that has completely lost the plot. 

So please, will someone explain the logic of any of this to me – the initial 11th hour, let’s not tell anyone the plan was to open Brisbane St to traffic and to not close Peel St from Brisbane St to Bourke St. 

The touted logic for this decision was the non-existent problem of country music festivalgoers’ road safety and to minimize any possible road safety issues.

Why?

Because, in the past, we have had so many accidents and issues that have prompted the Tamworth Regional Council (TRC), at the reported demand of police and road traffic authorities, to act.

Absolute rubbish. 

But anyway, we the long suffering people of Tamworth spoke and council told us they listened. You may recall our principle issue was actually not necessarily the opening or closing of certain roads over the festival, but that it was all being done at the 11th hour, without consultation and for all the wrong reasons. 

If I read the TRC’s advertised road plan correctly, what we have now is a half-arsed, middle of the road, a bit of both, compromised result that ironically amplifies the two key negative issues.

John Sommerlad and the team have decided that Brisbane St will be open to all traffic, including B-doubles, all the time over festival.

It will remain the major vehicular thoroughfare dissecting the CBD and the festival precinct into half.

Further, they have decided that for the 2015 event Peel St, from Brisbane St to Burke St, will now remain closed and still form part of the CBD Peel St road closure festival precinct. 

So festivalgoers will need to cross what will be a very busy Brisbane St to get to that part of the closed-to-traffic precinct. 

In the previous couple of years that area (Peel, Brisbane to Bourke streets ) was not particularly festival active. 

In 2015, I am interested to know what is planned to entice festival goers to cross the busy Brisbane St to venture into that area?

I would guess not much, because in 2016 John Sommerlad has already pre-empted that that section will not be closed to vehicular traffic.

So the two key negative issues of  Peel St (Brisbane to Bourke streets ) being a dead zone and festivalgoers safety in, on and around the roads, have now been amplified one hundred fold.

Why? 

Because the TRC bureaucracy is hard at work trying to please or placate all of the people, all of the time, resulting in management on the run and decisions by committees.

Now, ironically, there is a real and present danger for all festivalgoers (when trying to cross Brisbane St) and those unfortunate businesses on Peel St (Brisbane to Burke streets) have been cut off from the rest of the precinct by a busy interstate highway.