Dear Editor

I have also had a experience with Greater Taree City Council tourism department which left me very disappointed. About 8 years ago I first wrote to them with a idea to increase tourism to the area from which I received no reply except for the courteous automatic reply saying it will be passed on to the correct department. 

At the time I was a member of the Local Collectors Club and had a keen interest in any old items and as we were lucky enough to have about 8 shops at the time selling vintage, old wares and collectables and another 6 charity op shops in Taree and also had adequate coach parking within a close proximity of the shops, I proposed that Council promote 1 or 2 day tours of these struggling establishments. This would also add to the motels and hospitality in the town.
I know, having an interest in anything old and interesting I would really look forward to being part of such a tour, as I consider many others would.
However I never did get a reply from the tourism department and after a lapse of another couple of years decided to send off the same idea but this time to the General Manager. I did get a reply from the GM saying that he has forwarded the letter on to the tourism department and would get a reply within a couple of days. Well guess what, I did get a message from tourism on my answering machine saying that the person responsible is on holidays and would return my call on her return. You guessed it, NO CALL SINCE.
Since then many of the shops have closed obviously from lack of business so our opportunity to make Taree the antique and collectable capital of Australia has gone.
Leaves one pretty disappointed.

Kind Regards
Ian MacLeod 

Cedar Valley