It is a pity the arts industry is not so highly regarded despite adding in excess of $10 billion per year to Australia's bottom line.

Estimate the cost to Tamworth had the lockdown occurred just before the country music festival. That's the arts industry.

If a bunch of NRL players can embrace in sweaty clinches on the field, why do theatres and art galleries remain closed? Why isn't the public library open? None necessitate the personal contact involved in rugby league.

What's the plan Mr Joyce and Mr Anderson to open up other forms of entertainment beside footy? Hypocrisy and inconsistency have abounded in state and federal government decrees since COVID-19 hit us. This is yet another.

S Armstead, Kentucky

With respect but concern could or would it be possible for Mr Kevin Anderson or Cr Col Murray to explain to the people of Tamworth and district as to why West Tamworth Leagues Club are able to put all at risk due to the situation we face yet football comes first?

What about bowls; tennis; soccer? l would like to know, and probably many, how much money was donated for West to gain this ok and bring a Kiwi team into our mist.

No disrespect to the Kiwis but as a pollie Mr Anderson and Cr Murray show that they are brain dead.

D Davis, Manilla

If Trans-Tasman travel is reopened I hope they also open it to Pacific Island Nations such as Vanuatu which haven't had any COVID-19 and really need support. Particularly after the last cyclone.

I spoke to an Australian employer of Ni Vanu in a horticulture business and several of his employees had lost family homes and one had lost his father, killed by the cyclone.

They couldn't return home as they would be in quarantine in Vanuatu for 14 days, then would have to do the same returning to Australia plus there weren't any flights. What a terrible situation to be placed in!

This sort of return to travel to these areas would be the best form of foreign aid and may help in Australia and New Zealand retaining their links with these nations.

Freeing up this travel would rely on these pacific nations keeping their borders closed to other countries including cruise ships until countries like the USA and China had zero cases.

Graeme Harris, Calala

One of the problems I see with the present Armidale Regional Council is their lack of communications and working with our community.

I and many other good people were on the Economic Growth Committee and yet when questions were raised on how projects the Armidale Regional Council had successfully applied for funding were going eg. Super Playground and Helicopter landing pad at Armidale Regional Airport, our committee was disbanded soon after.

It was almost like council didn't like open discussion.

Now here we have another example of this lack of transparency with the Armidale Regional Council, where despite knowing how controversial putting forward a proposal to have shared access in the Mall would be, it was still put forward with the absolute minimum of opportunity for our community to engage in this decision.

Council need to engage with the Armidale community not shut them out.

We need to progress good ideas, like security screening at Armidale Airport, plan a future for the old Armidale Teachers College and bring modern medical procedures into our community like the Virtual Hospital and Robotic Surgery.

The time is right for accelerated change and opportunity, but not if the council keeps cutting our community out of discussion and decisions.

Alun Davies , New England Visions 2030 Think Tank

Mr Peckham believes mistakenly that we in Australia only contribute to global warming in a small way.

The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God, is the opposite.

Petrol motor car, average thermal efficiency about 25 per cent. Only this amount of the heat value of the fuel drives the wheels. Seventy-five per cent is waste heat from radiator, exhaust, etc. warming the atmosphere. Note the increase in vehicles in the last several decades.

Coal fired power stations designed to convert one third of the coal into electricity while two thirds warms the atmosphere! Ever light a fart? It burns, because it contains a lot of methane.

A very effective global warming gas. About 1.5 litres per day per adult person.

As well as all the animals we use to provide our needs in meat, milk, wool etc. We need transport for our products in Australia as our products are further from our markets than most other countries. We cannot help this.

It means per capita we contribute to global warming more than most. I challenge Mr Peckham to show me where I am wrong.

It is also non-political because the communists contribute to global warming as effectively as we do.

Lindsay Bridge, Quirindi