A mayor who hasn’t heard much community opinion about the Kable Avenue park.

A deputy mayor who thinks that a huge new housing subdivision south of the city will ease congestion on our major roads.

Councillors who think that locking up a park at night is giving in to hoons, but are happy to lock-up the Riverside Playing Field roads and the Lookout every night.

A local member who thinks that it would be a good, environmentally-sound (long-term?) idea to generate power from crops that Tamworth Regional Council (TRC) are growing on land west of the Airport; land which is swiftly becoming salt contaminated because the water that irrigates them has unacceptably-high levels of salts thanks to our local food processing industries. 

Not to worry, TRC has the answer for that too: buy more land and the salinity problem will take twice as long to reach “salt-pan” status.

Gee Tamworth is in good hands.

I recently attended a public meeting of the Flood Risk Management Study & Draft Plan for Barraba which was held at the Barraba Bowling Club. 

The presentation by GHD was informative and the council staff that were there were helpful, but where were the current councillors or, in this election mode, hopefuls? They were all conspicuous by their absence. Pathetic. 

I expected at least a representation from council and it was a good opportunity for standing hopefuls to learn a bit about Barraba and meet concerned residents. 

Jim, I am disappointed you were not there – a lost opportunity. It was a good opportunity to hear what happens when local contact is lost and information is centralised. 

Councillor Treloar stated in The Leader some months ago that Barraba was getting too much money. That may be so, but when we lost our local council the community lost its connect with its leaders. Sadly, that is something all the money in the world can’t buy. 

In the coming council elections nearly all of the primary votes from Barraba and Manilla to one local candidate is required for us to gain some sort of representation on Tamworth Regional Council. 

I feel for the future of small communities that have been incorporated into large council areas without their own representation.

Does Mike Baird and co realise the ramifications of the greyhound ban? Voters are likening it to the Gillard knee-jerk reaction to the live cattle debacle.

Nobody condones animal cruelty but it could have been handled differently.

Beware anyone involved in anything remotely concerned with animals, from elite horse racing to polo cross, to pony club and even cane toad races. The greenies have you in their sights! 

Adam Marshall and Kevin Anderson will feel this at the polls.

How good it is to see our national floral emblem busting into bloom at this time of the year. 

Our floral emblem, our national colours, there should be more made of them.

And why can't they be on our national flag where they desrve to be?